Sharpe’s Honour

In 1813, Sharpe mourns the death of his wife Teresa, a personal blow amid the Napoleonic wars. The Peninsular campaign intensifies as Wellington prepares to drive the French from Spain. Sharpe's grief sharpens his resolve while political currents threaten his standing with both allies and enemies.

Major Ducos hatches a plan to fracture the Anglo-Spanish alliance to gain revenge on Sharpe. He has the spy Marquesa craft a letter to her Spanish husband accusing Sharpe of harassment, hoping to inflame passions. The ruse pulls Sharpe into a deadly political trap that shadows him from the start.

Sharpe is forced into a duel with the outraged Spanish nobleman. The fight is broken up by Wellington's men, preventing a swift, humiliating conclusion. The incident deepens the conspiracy against Sharpe and sets the stage for a broader power struggle.

That night, El Matarife murders the nobleman Sharpe faced, and Sharpe is framed for the crime. The authorities sentence him to hang in an attempt to placate the Spanish alliance. Wellington finds himself reluctantly enmeshed in the ruse to preserve unity.

Major Nairn arranges for another condemned soldier to be executed to maintain the illusion and buy time. He sends Sharpe and Harper to uncover the truth behind the staged murder. The operation is conducted with care to keep the switch secret.

Father Hacha and El Matarife abduct Marquesa and imprison her in a nunnery to tie up loose ends. Sharpe learns of the abduction and resolves to intervene. The conspiracy tightens its grip as the plan unfolds behind the scenes.

Sharpe frees Marquesa from captivity, hoping to reveal the conspiracy. El Matarife's men pursue them, turning the rescue into a perilous chase. The escape raises the stakes for everyone involved.

Sharpe is captured by a French patrol and taken to Ducos. Ducos boasts that the duel and the murder have cleared the way for a peace treaty with King Ferdinand VII, forcing the British to withdraw. The capture sharpens the political stakes and tests Sharpe's loyalty to his cause.

Harper and the chosen men infiltrate the French prison in disguise and rescue Sharpe. The operation is executed under tight timing so he can rejoin the fight. Their return ensures Sharpe can play a pivotal role in the approaching battle.

At the Battle of Vitoria, Sharpe proves instrumental in the British victory. He helps turn the tide against the French through daring action and leadership. The victory undermines Ducos's plot and preserves the alliance with Spain.

After the clash of battles, Sharpe corners El Matarife and forces him to confess in front of Spanish and British witnesses. The confession deals a final blow to the conspirators' schemes and vindicates Sharpe. The truth solidifies Sharpe's standing with his allies.

A Spanish major shoots El Matarife when he tries to stab Sharpe, signaling the new trust of the Spanish authorities in Sharpe. The act seals Sharpe's standing and cements his place in the alliance's future. Loyalty and trust shift decisively in Sharpe's favor.

With the plot collapsing, Ducos kills Father Hacha to erase another loose end. The murder underscores the danger of the conspiracy and the cost it has exacted on Sharpe and his allies. The body count foreshadows Ducos's broader vendetta.

In a last bid to flee the advancing British, Ducos is dragged from his horse by routed French soldiers and shot, left to die. Though believed dead, he survives and vows to bedevil Sharpe in the future. The villain's survival hints at ongoing conflict to come.