masculine power, she realized suddenly. But it was also incredibly alluring. She drew a deep breath and tried to compose herself.
"My lord," she said, "I must ask you if you have come here tonight because you have decided to assist me in my quest."
"I think you know the answer to that."
Phoebe gazed up at him in gathering excitement. "Then the answer is yes? You will help me locate the murderous pirate who stole The Lady in the Tower?"
Gabriel's mouth curved faintly. "Rest assured, Lady Phoebe. You will know the identity of the owner of your book before the Season is over."
"
I
knew it." Overcome with joy, she threw her arms around Gabriel's neck. "I knew you would not be able to resist such a bold quest. I do not know how to thank you, my lord." She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips across his cheek. Then she stepped back quickly. She felt the heat in her face as she realized what she had done.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. He touched the side of his face briefly. "That will do for starters. But I think I should warn you that these days when I set out on quests, I make certain I get properly rewarded for my efforts."
"I understand. You said there would be a fee for your services." Phoebe straightened her shoulders. "I am prepared to pay it."
"Are you, indeed?"
"If it is within my means," Phoebe amended quickly.
"It will definitely be within your means."
Phoebe searched his unreadable face. "What is your fee, sir?"
"I am still calculating it."
"I see." Phoebe did not know how to take that. She cleared her throat cautiously. "I, myself, have never been very good with calculations and such."
"I am very, very good with them," he assured her softly.
"Oh. Well, then, you must let me know as soon as you have settled upon a sum. In the meantime, I shall give you some preliminary instructions."
Gabriel eyed her. "Instructions?"
"Yes, of course. This quest is a very serious matter and I would have you proceed carefully and, above all, discreetly." Phoebe took another step back and began to pace up and down in front of him. She frowned in thought. "First of all, we must maintain absolute secrecy."
"Secrecy." Gabriel considered that for a moment. "Why?"
"Don't be a dolt. Secrecy is necessary or we shall risk warning our quarry that we are on his trail."
"Ah."
Phoebe held up her hand and raised one finger. "Secrecy is the first requirement. No one must know that we are working together on this quest." She raised another finger. "The second requirement is that you keep me informed of your progress."
Gabriel's brow rose. "You want regular reports?"
"Yes. That way I shall be able to guide and coordinate your work. I shall make certain you are covering all the obvious avenues of inquiry."
"You do not trust me to be able to find all those particular avenues on my own?" Gabriel asked.
"No, of course not. You have been out of Society for eight years, my lord. There is much you do not know. I shall be able to give you a great deal of valuable information about certain book collectors and booksellers. You will, in turn, be able to apply that information while you are investigating."
"Phoebe, I agreed to this quest of yours, but you had better understand from the beginning that I am not some damn Bow Street Runner you may order about as it suits your whim."
She paused in her pacing to give him a placating smile. "I am well aware you are not a Runner, my lord. This matter is well beyond the scope of a mere Runner. You are a knight-errant. My knight-errant. In a very real sense you will be working for me, my lord. You do comprehend that, do you not?"
"I am starting to grasp your notion of how this partnership is supposed to work. But I don't think you have got a proper concept of how a knight-errant functions."
She peered at him in surprise. "What do you mean, my lord?"
"Knights-errant are notorious for going about their quests in their own fashions." Gabriel slowly stripped off his gloves. His eyes gleamed in the
"My lord," she said, "I must ask you if you have come here tonight because you have decided to assist me in my quest."
"I think you know the answer to that."
Phoebe gazed up at him in gathering excitement. "Then the answer is yes? You will help me locate the murderous pirate who stole The Lady in the Tower?"
Gabriel's mouth curved faintly. "Rest assured, Lady Phoebe. You will know the identity of the owner of your book before the Season is over."
"
I
knew it." Overcome with joy, she threw her arms around Gabriel's neck. "I knew you would not be able to resist such a bold quest. I do not know how to thank you, my lord." She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips across his cheek. Then she stepped back quickly. She felt the heat in her face as she realized what she had done.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. He touched the side of his face briefly. "That will do for starters. But I think I should warn you that these days when I set out on quests, I make certain I get properly rewarded for my efforts."
"I understand. You said there would be a fee for your services." Phoebe straightened her shoulders. "I am prepared to pay it."
"Are you, indeed?"
"If it is within my means," Phoebe amended quickly.
"It will definitely be within your means."
Phoebe searched his unreadable face. "What is your fee, sir?"
"I am still calculating it."
"I see." Phoebe did not know how to take that. She cleared her throat cautiously. "I, myself, have never been very good with calculations and such."
"I am very, very good with them," he assured her softly.
"Oh. Well, then, you must let me know as soon as you have settled upon a sum. In the meantime, I shall give you some preliminary instructions."
Gabriel eyed her. "Instructions?"
"Yes, of course. This quest is a very serious matter and I would have you proceed carefully and, above all, discreetly." Phoebe took another step back and began to pace up and down in front of him. She frowned in thought. "First of all, we must maintain absolute secrecy."
"Secrecy." Gabriel considered that for a moment. "Why?"
"Don't be a dolt. Secrecy is necessary or we shall risk warning our quarry that we are on his trail."
"Ah."
Phoebe held up her hand and raised one finger. "Secrecy is the first requirement. No one must know that we are working together on this quest." She raised another finger. "The second requirement is that you keep me informed of your progress."
Gabriel's brow rose. "You want regular reports?"
"Yes. That way I shall be able to guide and coordinate your work. I shall make certain you are covering all the obvious avenues of inquiry."
"You do not trust me to be able to find all those particular avenues on my own?" Gabriel asked.
"No, of course not. You have been out of Society for eight years, my lord. There is much you do not know. I shall be able to give you a great deal of valuable information about certain book collectors and booksellers. You will, in turn, be able to apply that information while you are investigating."
"Phoebe, I agreed to this quest of yours, but you had better understand from the beginning that I am not some damn Bow Street Runner you may order about as it suits your whim."
She paused in her pacing to give him a placating smile. "I am well aware you are not a Runner, my lord. This matter is well beyond the scope of a mere Runner. You are a knight-errant. My knight-errant. In a very real sense you will be working for me, my lord. You do comprehend that, do you not?"
"I am starting to grasp your notion of how this partnership is supposed to work. But I don't think you have got a proper concept of how a knight-errant functions."
She peered at him in surprise. "What do you mean, my lord?"
"Knights-errant are notorious for going about their quests in their own fashions." Gabriel slowly stripped off his gloves. His eyes gleamed in the
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