In the absence of any new Sharpe books, I’ve turned my attention to Patrick O’Brien since you cited him as one of your inspirations. Jack Aubrey doesn’t seem to have much regard for the Army, but then Richard Sharpe didn’t have much fondness for the Navy. Did you have Jack Aubrey in mind when you described the portly post captain in Sharpe’s Siege? If Richard and Jack had met, do you think they’d have liked each other? Could they have worked together comfortably? Jane Martin