on her face. She realized he had brought her over
to the row of open French doors that lined the ballroom.
Without a word, he took her by the hand and led her out into the night.
"Now we shall have our quiet conversation, Lady Phoebe." He drew her into the deeper shadows of the
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
garden.
Phoebe was still breathless, but she knew it was no longer because of the excitement of the dancing. She
could hardly believe Gabriel had found her.
"I must tell you, I am most impressed with your questing skills, my lord." Phoebe looked at him. "How
did you discover my identity? I vow I gave you no clues."
He stopped in the deep shadow of a hedge and turned to face her. "I found you by using the same
technique you used to discover that I was the author of The Quest. I contacted a solicitor."
She felt herself turning red. It was most unfortunate she'd been obliged to mislead him on that point, she
reflected. But she really had no choice. She simply could not tell him the truth. "That was very clever of
you."
"It was necessary," he said. "There is unfinished business between us. You were in rather a rush to leave
me the other night, if you will recall."
Phoebe studied the severe folds of his white cravat. "I trust you will forgive me, my lord. I was
somewhat overset at the time. The adventure had not gone as I had planned it."
"You made that very clear. Neither the adventure nor I had lived up to your expectations, apparently."
"Well, to be perfectly frank, no."
"Perhaps you set your expectations too high," Gabriel suggested.
"Perhaps." She wished she could see his eyes and the expression on his face. His voice gave her no clue
as to his mood, but she sensed a grim tension in him. It was as if he were preparing for battle. "Then
again, perhaps not. May I ask why you have gone to the effort to find me?"
"I would have thought you'd have guessed the answer to that. I have something to return to you."
Phoebe caught her breath. "You found The Knight and the Sorcerer!"
"I told you I would get it back for you."
"Yes, I know, but I never dreamed you'd actually be able to do it."
"Your great confidence in my knightly prowess is truly inspiring."
She ignored the sarcasm. "My lord, this is so exciting. How did you find the highwayman? How did you
force him to turn over the manuscript?" Phoebe blinked as a thought struck her. "You were not obliged to
shoot him, were you?"
"No. Mr. Nash and his son were quite cooperative."
Phoebe's mouth fell open. "Mr. Nash? He was the one who stole the manuscript from us?"
"It seems he could not bear to part with it. At the same time he desperately needed the money. So he
and his son concocted a scheme whereby they could have both the manuscript and the money. The ever
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
helpful Egan played the part of the highwayman."
"Good heavens." Phoebe frowned. "Actually, it was a rather clever plan and I can certainly understand
Mr. Nash's dilemma. It must have been very hard for him to sell the manuscript. How did you tumble to
the truth?"
"I thought it was pushing coincidence a bit far to get robbed within ten minutes of leaving Nash's cottage.
The highwayman showed only a rather casual interest in our purses, but he got quite enthusiastic about
the box containing the manuscript."
"So he did." Phoebe's eyes widened. "You knew who the highwayman was when he appeared?"
"I had my suspicions."
"How utterly brilliant of you." Phoebe was awed. "No wonder you did not resist at the time. You knew
exactly where to go to collect the manuscript later. My lord, I take back all those nasty things I said
about you."
"I am relieved to know you do not consider me a complete failure as a knight-errant."
Phoebe realized she had injured his pride. She touched his arm in a small, earnest little gesture of
apology. "I assure you I never actually
to the row of open French doors that lined the ballroom.
Without a word, he took her by the hand and led her out into the night.
"Now we shall have our quiet conversation, Lady Phoebe." He drew her into the deeper shadows of the
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
garden.
Phoebe was still breathless, but she knew it was no longer because of the excitement of the dancing. She
could hardly believe Gabriel had found her.
"I must tell you, I am most impressed with your questing skills, my lord." Phoebe looked at him. "How
did you discover my identity? I vow I gave you no clues."
He stopped in the deep shadow of a hedge and turned to face her. "I found you by using the same
technique you used to discover that I was the author of The Quest. I contacted a solicitor."
She felt herself turning red. It was most unfortunate she'd been obliged to mislead him on that point, she
reflected. But she really had no choice. She simply could not tell him the truth. "That was very clever of
you."
"It was necessary," he said. "There is unfinished business between us. You were in rather a rush to leave
me the other night, if you will recall."
Phoebe studied the severe folds of his white cravat. "I trust you will forgive me, my lord. I was
somewhat overset at the time. The adventure had not gone as I had planned it."
"You made that very clear. Neither the adventure nor I had lived up to your expectations, apparently."
"Well, to be perfectly frank, no."
"Perhaps you set your expectations too high," Gabriel suggested.
"Perhaps." She wished she could see his eyes and the expression on his face. His voice gave her no clue
as to his mood, but she sensed a grim tension in him. It was as if he were preparing for battle. "Then
again, perhaps not. May I ask why you have gone to the effort to find me?"
"I would have thought you'd have guessed the answer to that. I have something to return to you."
Phoebe caught her breath. "You found The Knight and the Sorcerer!"
"I told you I would get it back for you."
"Yes, I know, but I never dreamed you'd actually be able to do it."
"Your great confidence in my knightly prowess is truly inspiring."
She ignored the sarcasm. "My lord, this is so exciting. How did you find the highwayman? How did you
force him to turn over the manuscript?" Phoebe blinked as a thought struck her. "You were not obliged to
shoot him, were you?"
"No. Mr. Nash and his son were quite cooperative."
Phoebe's mouth fell open. "Mr. Nash? He was the one who stole the manuscript from us?"
"It seems he could not bear to part with it. At the same time he desperately needed the money. So he
and his son concocted a scheme whereby they could have both the manuscript and the money. The ever
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
helpful Egan played the part of the highwayman."
"Good heavens." Phoebe frowned. "Actually, it was a rather clever plan and I can certainly understand
Mr. Nash's dilemma. It must have been very hard for him to sell the manuscript. How did you tumble to
the truth?"
"I thought it was pushing coincidence a bit far to get robbed within ten minutes of leaving Nash's cottage.
The highwayman showed only a rather casual interest in our purses, but he got quite enthusiastic about
the box containing the manuscript."
"So he did." Phoebe's eyes widened. "You knew who the highwayman was when he appeared?"
"I had my suspicions."
"How utterly brilliant of you." Phoebe was awed. "No wonder you did not resist at the time. You knew
exactly where to go to collect the manuscript later. My lord, I take back all those nasty things I said
about you."
"I am relieved to know you do not consider me a complete failure as a knight-errant."
Phoebe realized she had injured his pride. She touched his arm in a small, earnest little gesture of
apology. "I assure you I never actually
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