"Jesus, Mary and Joseph Sir, I just heard the news about Lord Spears! The whole camp is talking about it." Patrick Harper exclaimed as he burst into Richard Sharpe's tent and stood gasping as he tried to catch his breath.
Sharpe sat on his cot looking rather glum. He had liked Jack Spears and his death coupled with the startling revelation that had accompanied it had upset him considerably.
"I'm surprised you're so upset by his death Harper, I could have sworn yer didn't like him." said Sharpe defensively.
"Well can't say as I did Sir, the way he used to hang around you all the time. But I'm sure upset about the other matter." replied Harper
Sharpe looked up quickly, frowning.
"Bloody Hell, is it out already? I was hoping I could keep it quiet. I sort of promised him." said Sharpe sadly.
"You knew Sir?" asked Harper sounding very surprised "You knew and you didn't tell anyone!"
"No, no Harper," Sharpe explained, wondering how Harper could suspect him of something like that. Spears duplicity had come as a shock to Sharpe. He had never suspected his friend of being a double agent. "I only found out at the end. His death bed confession, I guess yer could call it."
"Oh Shite Sir, That must have really taken you back." said Harper sympathetically.
"It did Pat. I liked Jack, trusted him, thought he was my friend and to think all the damn time he was hiding something like that." Sharpe shook his head and lay back on his cot. Sometimes life just seemed so unfair.
"Well never mind Sir, they say it's not always catching. You might be lucky but you should go see the doctor anyway just to be on the safe side." Harper said consolingly.
Sharpe bolted upright again and stared at Harper.
"What the bloody hell are yer talking about Harper?" he asked.
"The Black Lion Sir. Jack Spears had the Pox. It's all around camp by now." said Harper.
"It is?" Bloody Hell, he thought, that didn't take long. Sharpe narrowed his eyes and looked at Harper. "Well what's that got to do with me." he asked.
Harper stared him down and said "Well isn't that what you're so upset about? That your Lord Jack didn't tell you he had the Pox" he said tightly.
Sharpe was beginning to loose his temper. What the hell was Harper going on about?
"Why would that upset me Harper?" he demanded.
"Well Sir, I thought you might be upset seeing as how you and Mr Spears used to play hide the picklock with each other! You've very likely caught it from him! Didn't you learn anything on the streets?" Harper said sighing with exasperation.
"Bloody hell Harper!" was all Sharpe managed to gasp out in shock.
Sharpe had known he would come to regret telling Harper the story about William Lawford and himself in India. But where on earth did his Sergeant get this idea about Jack Spears? Sharpe told himself that if he stayed calm he would sort out this whole bloody mess and put Harper straight.
"Look Pat, my friendship with Jack Spears was completely different to my friendship with Colonel Lawford." began Sharpe patiently.
"Not by much I reckon! The only difference was that you didn't have the tiger skin, sesame oil and the peacock feather this time. There's no use denying it Sir, the whole camp knows about you and Jack Spears." said Harper.
"There was nothing between us Harper." Sharpe insisted, standing up and beginning to pace.
"That's what I'm afraid of Sir." said Harper with a frown. "You really should go see that Doctor."
Richard Sharpe sat down on his cot again and put his hands in his head. Bloody Hell, he thought, I'm never going to live this down. My reputation will be ruined.
"I know you always have trouble saying no to anyone. It's just the way you are." continued Harper, sitting down beside Sharpe "And there's been so many that it was bound to happen sooner or later. Tom Garrard, Sergeant Hakeswell, Captain Morris, Mr Lawford, Captain Brand, Major Hogan, Captain Lossow, Lieutenant Berry, Major Leroy, The Badajoz Convent Choir."
Sharpe almost choked as Harper rattled of the list of name. Bloody Hell. Well, he 'had' told Harper about the Choir and Lawford and Hakeswell and Harper had probably heard about Morris from Hakeswell, but, damn it, Captain Morris had threatened him with a flogging if he didn't comply. Captain brand was a case of misguided hero worship, surely he could be forgiven for going a little too far with it. Captain Lossow was a German and Sharpe had been just plain curious! As for Major Hogan, well it was only that one time in his tent and they were just friends now. Leroy, even Sharpe wasn't sure about that. They both been very drunk that night and just because they had woken up the next morning minus their trousers didn't mean a bloody thing really.
"I never did it with Berry, Harper. How can yer say that!" Sharpe finally replied trying to sound as dignified as he could.
Harper rolled his eyes heavenward and shook his head.
"Well you don't have to worry any more Sir. They'll all leave you alone now. No one would risk catching the Black Lion." said Harper matter-of-factly. " But you'll be all right , I'll look after you. I'll make sure you don't get lonely." Harper concluded with a smug smile.
Richard Sharpe just sat there with his mouth open, too shocked to speak.
"Best close your mouth Sir, it's probably how you got into this mess in the first place" said Harper with a grin.
"You planned this Harper, didn't you! You spread those rumours." said Sharpe with an angry edge to his voice. Suddenly all the pieces were falling into place.
"Well not exactly Sir, but I did make a few well chosen comments where I knew Dan Hagman would hear them and left the rest to gossip. I figured everyone else would leave you alone if they knew you were keeping company with a Lord. As for His Lordship's condition, well that was just an added bonus. When they brought his body in for burial, word sort of got around. No one will be game to look twice at you now!" said Harper smiling at Sharpe as they sat together on the cot.
"So now I've only got to worry about you Harper, is that it?" asked Sharpe finally seeing the light.
"You can be so thick at times Sir. I really thought you might figure it out when I told you my dream about the black stallions."
Sharpe frowned. He had thought Harper wanted to take him riding! What the hell did big black horses have to do with this? Harper could be bloody mysterious at times!
"You should have just come right out and said something Pat." Sharpe said softly moving a little closer.
"I sort of figured you were tired of having the hard word put on you and thought I'd just leave it up to you to make the first move. I dropped as many hints as I thought decent but you just didn't seem to see it." said Harper with a blush.
Sharpe moved even closer until they were touching and put his hand lightly on Harper's thigh.
"Well I see it now Pat," he whispered leaning towards his Sergeant "and yer right, there's no need to worry about Jack Spears, I'm sure everything's is all right."
Harper jumped up quickly and moved out of reach.
"What did you say Sir, about Jack Spears? You don't mean..?" he asked breathlessly.
Sharpe eased himself back onto his cot and smiled up at Harper.
"Just what yer said, Pat, hide the picklock. I thought yer knew. But it was only once, err, well a few times anyway, I'm not that certain really. And like you said, it isn't always catching. Now come back down here Pat." he said patting the spot beside him and grinning.
Harper took a step towards the tent flap nervously.
"Er I don't think so Sir, it might be best to wait a while. Wouldn't hurt to see that doctor you know. Oh and I've got to check on the new latrines that are being dug. I'd better go now." and with that Patrick Harper left Sharpe's tent almost as quickly as he had arrived.
Richard Sharpe lay on his cot smiling. The smile gradually turned into a giggle and then a laugh. He wondered how long he would let Harper go on worrying before he told him the truth.
Let him suffer for a while, thought Sharpe, just like I'm going to, until all those rumours are taken care of. Yes, Patrick Harper was going to be pretty busy restoring Sharpe's reputation and discounting the rumours about Jack Spears, Sharpe and the Pox. Sharpe's Pox.
And maybe when everything was back to normal he would ask Harper about those bloody black stallions!
The End.