Sharpe stood straighter. Did he despise this woman's breathing guts? Aye, quite so. But it was an officer's right and prerogative to pledge protection to any lady who might need it -- even the damned annoying ones who were likely to bring awful hell down upon his head and the heads of the Everdeen sisters.

"Bloody hell. You're not meeting him alone," he gave her no immediate chance to refuse his accompaniment.