“Do?” She looked at Hogan and then at Sharpe. “I cannot go back. They tried to rape me!”
“Did they now.” Hogan’s voice was flat. The girl nodded, still clutching the bag, and moved closer to Sharpe.
“My clothes,” she said. “I must get my clothes. All my things! They are in that room.”
Forrest stepped forward, a concerned expression on his face. “Your clothes?”
“All my things! They’ll kill me!”
Hogan’s shrewd eyes flicked from the girl to Forrest. “If you go round the front, Major, and hurry, then you’ll be there before those two. It’ll take ten minutes for them to throw up all that liquor.”
Forrest looked alarmed, but Hogan had taken charge and the Major did not know how to resist. Hogan took Josefina by the elbow and gave her to Forrest. “Go with Major Forrest and rescue your things. Hurry!”
She stepped to Forrest but turned back to Sharpe. “But where do I spend the night?”
Sharpe cleared his throat. “She can use my room. I can double up with Hogan.”
Forrest twitched at her elbow. “Come on, my dear, we must hurry.” The two of them splashed through the stream and hurried towards the lights of the inn. Hogan watched them go and turned to Sharpe. “Double up with me?”
“It would be best, wouldn’t it?”
“Hypocrite. You mean double up with her.”
Sharpe said nothing. He suspected that Hogan had pushed the girl away with the Major because he wanted to talk to Sharpe alone, but the Rifleman had no intention of making his friend’s life any easier by bringing up the subject. He leaned down and picked up his rifle and felt the lock to see if any dampness or mud had seeped into the pan. The lights of the Battalion fires smeared the hillside with a dying red glow.
“You know what you’re doing, Richard?” Hogan’s voice was non-committal.
“What do you mean?”
The Irishman smiled. “She’s beautiful. There aren’t many as good-looking as that one; at least, not outside Cork.” The small joke was made to lighten his tone, which was sad. “Well, you rescued her, so she’s yours for the moment. Will you be sending her home to Lisbon?” Sharpe started walking beside the stream and said nothing. Hogan caught up with him. “Are you in love with her?”
“For God’s sake!”
“And what’s wrong with that?” They walked in silence for a few yards until Hogan took a guinea out of his pocket and held it up. ,I’ll bet you this against ten of yours that you’ll not double up with me tonight?”
Sharped smiled in the darkness. “I don’t gamble and I haven’t any money.”
“I know. But you’ll need it, Richard. Women don’t come free.” Hogan still spoke softly. He felt in his pocket and held out a handful of guineas. ,I’ll wage you these, Richard, against one rifle bullet that you won’t double up with me tonight.”
Sharpe stared down at Hogan’s friendly, concerned face. It would be so easy to win the bet. All he had to do was put Josefina in his room and then walk to Hogan’s billet and collect the handful of gold. There were six months’ wages, there, just for staying clear of the girl. Sharpe pushed the money away. “I need all my bullets.”
Hogan laughed. “That’s true. But don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.” He put a hand on Sharpe’s belt, opened the ammunition pouch, and poured in the gold. Sharpe protested and pulled away but Hogan forced the money inside. “You’ll need it, Richard. She’ll expect a decent room in Oropesa, and in Talavera, and God knows how much it will all cost you. Don’t worry. There’ll be a battle soon and you’ll shoot a rich man and then give me the money back.”
They walked on in silence. Hogan could feel the excitement in Sharpe and knew that if he had offered him ten times ten guineas then he could not have stopped the Rifleman sleeping with the girl that night or, if Josefina said no, then Sharpe would have stayed in the room as her faithful protector, the Baker rifle across his knees. They skirted Berry and Gibbons, one of them doubled over and groaning, and splashed through the stream and back into the lights of the inn’s courtyard. Hogan looked up at Sharpe, at the eyes that were alive with anticipation, and cuffed him gently on the arm. “Sleep well, Richard.”