Sharpe's Revenge
Sharpe's Revenge is the nineteenth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series written by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1989. The peace of 1814 formally ends the Peninsular War, but it does not end all hostilities among individuals.
 First edition | |
| Author | Bernard Cornwell |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Richard Sharpe |
| Genre | Historical novels |
| Publisher | Collins |
Publication date | 1989 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Preceded by | Sharpe's Siege |
| Followed by | Sharpe's Waterloo |
Plot summary
In 1814, Richard Sharpe and his second wife, Jane, quarrel over Sharpe's imminent duel with Captain Bampfylde, resulting from the latter's cowardice in the previous novel, Sharpe's Siege. Just in case, Sharpe grants her power of attorney over the considerable sum of money he has lodged with his prize agent in London. Sharpe fights the duel, wounding Bampfylde in the buttocks, and sends Jane to England with instructions to purchase a country home in Dorset, even though she makes it clear she wants to live in London.
Sharpe takes part in the Battle of Toulouse. Shortly afterwards, however, he learns that the war has already ended, and Napoleon has been defeated. Sharpe, Harper and Frederickson go to Bordeaux to await transport to England. There he learns that Jane has closed out his account, withdrawing almost £18,000.
Sharpe and Frederickson are arrested in Bordeaux, accused of stealing Napoleon's treasury, which has been concealed at Teste de Buch, the fortress they had captured in the previous novel. A witness statement by Napoleon's spymaster, Pierre Ducos, an old, bitter enemy of Sharpe's, reveals who is responsible for the false allegation. Sharpe and Frederickson realize that they need the testimony of the fort's French commander, Henri Lassan, to exonerate them, so with help from Harper and Captain Peter d'Alembord, the two men escape and set out to find Lassan.
In London, ignoring Sharpe's instructions at the urging of a friend, Lady Spindacre, Jane takes a large and expensive town house in fashionable Cork Street. On hearing of her husband's arrest, she contacts Sharpe's former ally, Lord John Rossendale, but instead of using his influence on Sharpe's behalf, he becomes Jane's lover.
Sharpe and Frederickson make their way to Lassan's ancestral home in Normandy, to which he has retired. They arrive shortly after assassins sent by Ducos (disguised as British riflemen) kill Lassan and his mother. Lassan's widowed sister, Lucille Castineau, shoots and nearly kills Sharpe, mistaking him for the killers. When she learns the truth, Lucille takes the two fugitives in and nurses Sharpe.
Harper and d'Alembord return to England to contact Jane. Jane refuses to receive them, and has Harper horsewhipped. In Normandy, Frederickson grows attached to Lucille, and proposes to her, but is refused. He leaves for Paris to track down Ducos, leaving Sharpe to recover from his injuries. In his absence, Sharpe and Lucille become lovers.
Harper returns and tells Sharpe about Jane, just as Frederickson sends word that Ducos has fled to Naples in Italy. The three men travel to Italy, while Lucille, now pregnant, writes to the French prosecutor to exonerate Sharpe. Her letter is passed to Napoleon, in exile on Elba, who dispatches General Calvet to Naples to retrieve his treasure.
In Naples, Ducos assumes the identity of a Polish count, buys the protection of the local cardinal, and assembles a small personal force of guards to guard the treasure. Calvet and Sharpe form an alliance; Calvet will get the treasure, while Sharpe will take Ducos back and clear him and Frederickson.
The combined force successfully infiltrate Ducos's villa, capturing the treasure and Ducos himself, but before they can leave, the cardinal's forces surround the villa. Sharpe loads a small cannon with gold coins and fires it among the Neapolitan troops. The ill-disciplined men break ranks to collect the coins, and allow the besieged company to escape by sea, taking Ducos and the remaining treasure with them.
Ducos is executed by firing squad. Sharpe and Frederickson have a falling out when Frederickson learns of Sharpe's relationship with Lucille (whom Frederickson had fallen in love with). Harper, discharged from the army, goes home to Ireland with his Spanish wife and child. Sharpe returns to Lucille (with some of Napoleon's gold coins).
Television adaptation
The novel was adapted as the first episode of the fifth season of the Sharpe television series, introducing Cécile Paoli as Lucille, seeing Alexis Denisof take over the role of Rossendale and guest starring John Benfield as Calvet, Connie Hyde as Lady Molly and Milton Johns as Hopkinson. The adaptation was basically faithful to the novel but lost many of the connections to Sharpe's Siege as a result of an original story, Sharpe's Mission, being placed between the adaptations: Instead of the duel with Bampfylde, Sharpe fights a similar duel with Colonel Wigram, the officer who later commands his court martial, for insulting him at Toulouse and Lucille's brother is not Lassan but Maillot, the officer in charge of Napoleon's treasure (with their mother omitted entirely). Nairn's role is given to Major-General Ross, an original recurring character in the series, and the character's fate changed so he is merely wounded. D'Alembord is also omitted and other characters have their names changed, with Lady Molly Spinacre becoming Lady Molly Hardcastle and Lucille's married name change from Castineau to Duberre. Frederickson learns of Sharpe and Lucille's relationship much earlier, before travelling to Naples, leaving them semi-reconciled at the end and Ducos' death is altered, with Sharpe shooting him from a distance as he tries to escape. Lucille's pregnancy was also left out, since the adaptation was followed by another original story, Sharpe's Justice, and ends with Sharpe and Harper saying goodbye to Lucille and returning to England.