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to help me bring the villain to justice?" she demanded.
    "Why not? When you send a man out on a quest, it is only fair to reward him."
    "You should be ashamed of yourself," she shot back. "This is a matter of justice and honor. It is not as
    though I am asking you to help me find a lost treasure or a cache of jewels."
    "Justice and honor are commodities that can be bought and sold just as freely as jewels and gold. I see
    no reason why I should not be paid for finding them."
    She drew a breath. "You are very cynical, my lord."
    "I am very practical, madam."
    "I see. Very well. If you prefer to do business as a common tradesman rather than as a chivalrous knight,
    so be it." Her chin came up proudly. "What is the cost of your services?"
    "As I do not yet know how much trouble this particular quest will cause me, I cannot set the price in
    advance. I must wait until the task is completed," Gabriel said.
    After weeks of growing fascination with this outrageous female, he was feeling well satisfied with himself
    at last. He had finally gained the upper hand. A useful advantage, he thought. He would certainly need it,
    judging by what he had learned of her thus far.
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    "You will not name your price in advance? That's ridiculous. What if I cannot afford your fee?" she said.
    "Never fear. You will be able to afford my price. The question is whether or not you will be honorable
    enough to pay it. Can I trust you to be true to your word, madam, or will you continue to play your little
    games?"
    She was incensed. "How dare you question my honor, Wylde?"
    "You certainly have not hesitated to question mine. You went so far as to call me a coward a few
    minutes ago."
    "That's different," she sputtered.
    "Is it? Men have been known to kill each other for less insult. But I am prepared to let bygones be
    bygones."
    "How very decent of you," she got out in a choked voice.
    "Do we have a bargain, my Veiled Lady?"
    "Yes," she said instantly. "But first you must recover The Knight and the Sorcerer. I seriously doubt that
    you will be able to do so."
    "I appreciate your confidence in my knightly prowess."
    "That highwayman will be miles away by now with my manuscript." She paused. "Good heavens, I just
    realized something."
    "What's that?"
    "Remember the curse at the end of the book?"
    "What about it?" Gabriel asked.
    "Well, if I recall correctly, it began with the statement that whoever took the book would be set upon by
    thieves and murderers. We were definitely set upon by a thief, my lord."
    "Who fortunately did not turn into a murderer, thanks to my clever handling of the situation."
    "You mean thanks to your ineptitude," she grumbled.
    "Whatever you say, madam. In the meantime, you and I must seal our pact." Gabriel drew the stallion to
    a halt and held out his hand.
    The Veiled Lady hesitated and then reluctantly put out her own gloved hand. "Are you really going to
    think about accepting my quest?"
    "Rest assured, I am going to think about little else until I see you again."
    "Thank you, my lord," she said stiffly. "If you are indeed serious, you cannot know how much this means
    to me."
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    "Perhaps you should demonstrate the extent of your gratitude." Gabriel's fingers closed around hers.
    Instead of clasping her hand in a ritual handshake, however, he used his grip to pull her close. Before she
    realized his intent, he lifted the veil of her hat, exposing her startled features to the pale glow of the moon.
    The lady gasped and then froze in stunned shock.
    Gabriel raked the upturned face of his sweet tormentor with the fierce curiosity that had been burning
    within him for weeks. The need to know her identity had become as powerful a force as any physical
    desire. It had been growing steadily since he had opened the first letter from her.
    One glance at the elegant handwriting and he