knight-errant. He did not know many females who would have handled a highwayman with such withering scorn. But then, he did not know any females at all who bore the least resemblance to his irritating Veiled Lady.
"Your money or your lives." The highwayman swung the pistol back and forth between Gabriel and his companion. "Be quick about it, now. It'd be just as simple to shoot ye dead and be done with the trouble."
"I only have a few coins with me," the Veiled Lady announced. "And I am not wearing any jewelry."
"I'll take whatever ye got." The highwayman peered at Gabriel over the edge of his mask. "Expect yer carryin' a pistol somewheres on ye. Take yer coat off and throw it on the ground."
"As you wish." Gabriel shrugged and began to unfasten the greatcoat.
The Veiled Lady was instantly alarmed. "No, you must not remove your coat, my lord. You will catch your death of cold." She turned back to the highwayman. "Please, sir, I pray you. Do not make my friend remove the garment. He has a very weak chest. His doctor has told him he must never go about without a coat on."
Gabriel gave the lady an amused look. "How kind of you to think of my health at this rather tense moment, madam."
"His chest will be a great deal weaker if I put a bullet through it," the highwayman snarled. "Hurry it up, now."
"Wait. You must not take off the coat, my lord," the lady said desperately.
But it was too late. Gabriel was already free of his greatcoat. The manuscript box was revealed beneath his arm.
"Here, now, what's that?" The highwayman urged his mount closer to Gabriel's stallion. "That looks interestin'."
"It's just an old box," the lady said repressively. "Nothing of value. Is that not right, my lord?"
"It is definitely an old box," Gabriel agreed.
"I'll take it." The highwayman held out a hand. "Give it to me."
"Do not dare hand it over to him, Wylde," the lady commanded. "Do you hear me?"
"I hear you." Gabriel handed the box over very carefully. He tossed a few coins on top.
Clearly outraged, the Veiled Lady whirled again to confront the highwayman. "Do not touch it. I demand that you give it back at once. That box belongs to me."
"Well, now, I cannot rightly do that," the highwayman said.
"Stop him, Wylde," the Veiled Lady ordered. "I shall never forgive you if you let him get away with this."
"I pity ye, havin' to put up with that mouth of hers," the highwayman said sympathetically to Gabriel.
"One gets used to it," Gabriel said.
"If ye say so. Well, thank ye very much and good evenin' to ye both. Pleasure doin' business."
The masked man swung his horse around, kicked hard, and sent the beast galloping off down the lane.
The Veiled Lady watched as the highwayman disappeared. Then she rounded on Gabriel. He braced himself for the onslaught. It was obvious she was not pleased with his performance as a knight-errant.
"I do not believe this, sir," she said furiously. "How could you give up my manuscript without so much as a single attempt to defend it?"
Gabriel slanted her a meaningful glance as he dismounted to retrieve his greatcoat. "Would you rather I had let him put a hole in my already weak chest?"
"Of course not. But surely you could have dealt with him. You are a gentleman. You must know about pistols and such. He was nothing but an uncouth highwayman."
"Uncouth highwaymen are capable of pulling the trigger of a pistol just as easily as any gentleman who has trained at Manton's." Gabriel vaulted back into the saddle and collected the reins.
The Veiled Lady groaned in frustration. Gabriel thought he heard her swear under her breath.
"How could you let him just take it like that?" she asked. "I brought you along for protection. You were supposed to be my escort tonight."
"It seems to me I did my job. You are quite safe."
"But he took my manuscript."
"Exactly. Your manuscript. Not mine." Gabriel urged his horse forward down the lane. "I learned long ago not to risk my neck fighting for something that does
"Your money or your lives." The highwayman swung the pistol back and forth between Gabriel and his companion. "Be quick about it, now. It'd be just as simple to shoot ye dead and be done with the trouble."
"I only have a few coins with me," the Veiled Lady announced. "And I am not wearing any jewelry."
"I'll take whatever ye got." The highwayman peered at Gabriel over the edge of his mask. "Expect yer carryin' a pistol somewheres on ye. Take yer coat off and throw it on the ground."
"As you wish." Gabriel shrugged and began to unfasten the greatcoat.
The Veiled Lady was instantly alarmed. "No, you must not remove your coat, my lord. You will catch your death of cold." She turned back to the highwayman. "Please, sir, I pray you. Do not make my friend remove the garment. He has a very weak chest. His doctor has told him he must never go about without a coat on."
Gabriel gave the lady an amused look. "How kind of you to think of my health at this rather tense moment, madam."
"His chest will be a great deal weaker if I put a bullet through it," the highwayman snarled. "Hurry it up, now."
"Wait. You must not take off the coat, my lord," the lady said desperately.
But it was too late. Gabriel was already free of his greatcoat. The manuscript box was revealed beneath his arm.
"Here, now, what's that?" The highwayman urged his mount closer to Gabriel's stallion. "That looks interestin'."
"It's just an old box," the lady said repressively. "Nothing of value. Is that not right, my lord?"
"It is definitely an old box," Gabriel agreed.
"I'll take it." The highwayman held out a hand. "Give it to me."
"Do not dare hand it over to him, Wylde," the lady commanded. "Do you hear me?"
"I hear you." Gabriel handed the box over very carefully. He tossed a few coins on top.
Clearly outraged, the Veiled Lady whirled again to confront the highwayman. "Do not touch it. I demand that you give it back at once. That box belongs to me."
"Well, now, I cannot rightly do that," the highwayman said.
"Stop him, Wylde," the Veiled Lady ordered. "I shall never forgive you if you let him get away with this."
"I pity ye, havin' to put up with that mouth of hers," the highwayman said sympathetically to Gabriel.
"One gets used to it," Gabriel said.
"If ye say so. Well, thank ye very much and good evenin' to ye both. Pleasure doin' business."
The masked man swung his horse around, kicked hard, and sent the beast galloping off down the lane.
The Veiled Lady watched as the highwayman disappeared. Then she rounded on Gabriel. He braced himself for the onslaught. It was obvious she was not pleased with his performance as a knight-errant.
"I do not believe this, sir," she said furiously. "How could you give up my manuscript without so much as a single attempt to defend it?"
Gabriel slanted her a meaningful glance as he dismounted to retrieve his greatcoat. "Would you rather I had let him put a hole in my already weak chest?"
"Of course not. But surely you could have dealt with him. You are a gentleman. You must know about pistols and such. He was nothing but an uncouth highwayman."
"Uncouth highwaymen are capable of pulling the trigger of a pistol just as easily as any gentleman who has trained at Manton's." Gabriel vaulted back into the saddle and collected the reins.
The Veiled Lady groaned in frustration. Gabriel thought he heard her swear under her breath.
"How could you let him just take it like that?" she asked. "I brought you along for protection. You were supposed to be my escort tonight."
"It seems to me I did my job. You are quite safe."
"But he took my manuscript."
"Exactly. Your manuscript. Not mine." Gabriel urged his horse forward down the lane. "I learned long ago not to risk my neck fighting for something that does
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