Henri Lorcet is one of the two main antagonists of the Bernard Cornwell short story "Sharpe's Ransom". He is a French lawyer in 1814.
Biography[]
Henri Lorcet was a lawyer working for Major Pierre Ducos. He had a strict diet that precluded meat and coffee, eating only fruit, vegetables and grain. He wrote Ducos' will, in which Ducos left equal shares of his estate to Lorcet and Sergeant Challon. He stated that the estate included the Emperor's treasure and that Major Richard Sharpe would know where it was located.
Lorcet, together with Challon and four of his men, tracked Sharpe down to the farm in Normandy where he lived with his lover Lucille Castineau, their son Patrick and servant Marie. They took the four prisoner after which Lorcet demanded the treasure. Sharpe pointed out that General Calvet had been with him when he recovered the treasure but Lorcet refused to believe that Sharpe had not kept any for himself. He and his associates began stockpiling everything of value in the farmhouse, including a ruby that Sharpe had taken from the treasure and given to Lucille. Sharpe lied that he had 40,000 francs in a strong box at a bank in Caen, and it could only be opened in his presence. Lorcet had three men accompany Sharpe, warning him to be back by nightfall or his family would be harmed.
Lorcet attempted to keep Challon in check with Lucille, but questioned her living with an Englishman, saying there were many French who could do with employment on the farm. Eventually, Sharpe returned with former French soldier Jacques Malan, having already taken care of his escort, and together they overpowered Challon. Lorcet surrendered without a fight and Sharpe locked him, Challon and their remaining escort in the farm chapel to await the authorities.
