„It is not an illness,” Vicente said, „not something a doctor can cure.”

„Then what is it?”

„It is Miss Katherine,” Vicente said forlornly.

„Kate?” Sharpe stared at Vicente. „You know her?”

Vicente nodded. „Every young man in Porto knows Kate Savage. When she was sent to school in England we pined for her and when she sailed back it was as if the sun had come out.”

„She’s pretty enough,” Sharpe allowed, then looked again at Vicente as the full force of the lawyer’s words registered. „Oh, bloody hell,” he said.

„What?” Vicente asked, offended.

„I don’t need you to be in love,” Sharpe said.

„I am not in love,” Vicente said, still offended, but it was obvious that he was besotted with Kate Christopher. In the last two or three years he had gazed at her from afar and he had dreamed of her when he was writing his poetry and had been distracted by her memory when he was studying his philosophy and he had woven fantasies about her as he delved through the dusty law books. She was the Beatrice to his Dante, the unapproachable English girl from the big house on the hill and now she was married to Colonel Christopher.

And that, Sharpe thought, explained the silly bitch’s disappearance. She had eloped! But what Sharpe still did not understand was why she would need to conceal such a love from her mother who would surely approve of her choice? Christopher, so far as Sharpe could tell, was well born, affluent, properly educated and a gentleman: all the things, indeed, that Sharpe was not. Christopher was also very annoyed and, when Sharpe reached the Quinta, the Colonel faced him from the front steps and again demanded an explanation for the rifleman’s presence in Vila Real de Zedes.

„I told you,” Sharpe said, „we were cut off. We couldn’t cross the river.”

„Sir,” Christopher snapped, then waited for Sharpe to repeat the word, but Sharpe just stared past the Colonel into the Quinta’s hallway where he could see Kate unpacking clothes from the big leather valise.

„I gave you orders,” Christopher said.

„We couldn’t cross the river,” Sharpe said, „because there wasn’t a bridge. It broke. So we went to the ferry, but the damned Frogs had burned it, so now we’re going to Amarante, but we can’t use the main roads because the Frogs are swarming over them like lice, and I can’t go fast because I’ve got a wounded man and is there a room here where we can put him tonight?”

Christopher said nothing for a moment. He was waiting for Sharpe to call him „sir,” but the rifleman stubbornly stayed silent. Christopher sighed and glanced across the valley to where a buzzard circled. „You expect to stay here tonight?” he asked distantly.

„We’ve marched since three this morning,” Sharpe said. He was not sure they had left at three o’clock because he had no watch, but it sounded about right. „We’ll rest now,” he said, „then march again before tomorrow’s dawn.”

„The French,” Christopher said, „will be at Amarante.”

„No doubt they will,” Sharpe said, „but what else am I to do?”

Christopher flinched at Sharpe’s surly tone, then shuddered as Hagman moaned. „There’s a stable block behind the house,” he said coldly, „put your wounded man there. And who the devil is that?” He had noticed Vicente’s prisoner, Lieutenant Olivier.

Sharpe turned to see where the Colonel was looking. „A Frog,” he answered, „whose throat I’m going to cut.”

Christopher stared in horror at Sharpe. „A Frog whose… „he began to repeat, but just then Kate came from the house to stand beside him.

He put an arm about her shoulder and, with an irritable look at Sharpe, raised his voice to call to Lieutenant Olivier. „Monsieur! Venez id, s’il vous plait.”

„He’s a prisoner,” Sharpe said.

„He’s an officer?” Christopher asked as Olivier threaded his way through Sharpe’s sullen men.

„He’s a lieutenant,” Sharpe said, „of the 18th Dragoons.”

Christopher gave Sharpe a rather startled look. „It is customary,” he said coldly, „to allow officers to give their parole. Where is the lieutenant’s sword?”

„I wasn’t keeping him prisoner,” Sharpe said, „Lieutenant Vicente was. The Lieutenant’s a lawyer, you see, and he seems to have the strange idea that the man should stand trial, but I was just planning on hanging him.”

Kate gave a small cry of horror. „Perhaps you should go inside, my dear,” Christopher suggested, but she did not move and he did not insist. „Why were you going to hang him?” he asked Sharpe instead.

„Because he’s a rapist,” Sharpe said flatly and the word prompted Kate to give another small cry, and this time Christopher bodily pushed her into the tiled hallway.

„You will mind your language,” Christopher said icily, „when my wife is present.”

„There was a lady present when this bastard raped her,” Sharpe said. „We caught him with his breeches round his ankles and his equipment hanging out. What was I supposed to do with him? Give him a brandy and offer him a game of whist?”

„He is an officer and a gentleman,” Christopher said, more concerned that Olivier was from the 18th Dragoons which meant he served with Captain Argenton. „Where is his sword?”

Lieutenant Vicente was introduced. He carried Olivier’s sword and Christopher insisted it be returned to the Frenchman. Vicente tried to explain that Olivier was accused of a crime and must be tried for it, but Colonel Christopher, speaking his impeccable Portuguese, dismissed the idea. „The conventions of war, Lieutenant,” he said, „do not allow for the trial of military officers as though they were civilians. You should know that if, as Sharpe claims, you are a lawyer. To allow the civil trial of prisoners of war would open up the possibilities of reciprocity. Try this man and execute him and the French will do the same to every Portuguese officer they take captive. You understand that, surely?”

Vicente saw the force of the argument, but would not give in. „He is a rapist,” he insisted.

„He is a prisoner of war,” Christopher contradicted him, „and you will give him over to my custody.”

Vicente still tried to resist. Christopher, after all, was in civilian clothes. „He is a prisoner of my army,” Vicente said stubbornly.

„And I,” Christopher said disdainfully, „am a lieutenant colonel in His Britannic Majesty’s army, and that, I think, means that I outrank you, Lieutenant, and you will obey my orders or else you will face the military consequences.”

Vicente, outranked and overwhelmed, stepped back and Christopher, with a small bow, presented Olivier with his sword. „Perhaps you will do me the honor of waiting inside?” he suggested to the Frenchman and, when a much relieved Olivier had gone into the Quinta, Christopher strode to the edge of the front steps and stared over Sharpe’s head to where a white cloud of dust was being generated on a track coming from the distant main road. A large body of horsemen was approaching the village and Christopher reckoned it had to be Captain Argenton and his escort. A look of alarm crossed his face and his gaze flickered to Sharpe, then back to the approaching cavalry. He dared not let the two meet. „Sharpe,” he said, „you are under orders again.”

„If you say so, sir.” Sharpe sounded reluctant.

„Then you will stay here and guard my wife,” Christopher said. „Are those your horses?” He pointed to the dozen cavalry horses captured at Barca d’Avintas, most of which were still saddled. „I’ll take two of them.” He ran into the entrance hall and beckoned to Olivier. „Monsieur! You will accompany me and we go at once. Dearest one?” He took Kate’s hand. „You will stay here till I return. I shall not be long. An hour at the most.” He bent to give her knuckles a kiss, then hurried outside and hauled himself into the nearest saddle, watched Olivier mount, then both men spurred down the track. „You will stay here, Sharpe!” Christopher shouted as he left. „Right here! That is an order!”