hear loud voices from inside the room. The first voice was that of an irate young man.
"Damnation, Pa, I did it just like we planned it. Just like we did it the last time. How was I to know she'd have that big cove with her? What does it matter, anyhow? He didn't give me any trouble."
"Ye should've backed off when ye saw there was a gentleman with her," Nash growled back in response.
"I told ye, he didn't even put up a fight." There was a snort of derision. "Handed the damn box over as nice as ye please. It was the lady I was worryin' about. I swear, if she'd had a pistol, I'd have been done for. Stop frettin', Pa. We got the manuscript and the money the lady paid for it."
"I cannot help but fret," Nash retorted. "I did not like the looks of that gentleman who accompanied the lady. Something about him made me uneasy. Strange eyes. Green as emeralds, they were. And just as cold. Had a dangerous look to 'em. Never saw a man with eyes like that."
"Calm yourself, Pa. I told ye, he wasn't a problem."
Gabriel opened the door quietly. Nash was seated at his desk, his head in his hands. A thickset young man with heavy features was striding angrily back and forth across the small space left between aisles of books. A dashing black cape lay across a chair.
"I fear I am going to be something of a problem, after all," Gabriel said gently. He kept the pistol at his side, visible but not overtly threatening.
Both men whirled to face him. The young man's expression was one of dawning horror. Mr. Nash, after a brief start, looked gloomily resigned to his fate.
The young man recovered rapidly. "Here, now, what do ye mean by walkin' in on us without so much as a by yer leave? This is trcspassin'. I'll have ye taken up by the magistrate for this."
Gabriel glanced at him without much interest. "You must be Egan. The helpful son who sees to things around here."
Egan's eyes bulged. "How did ye know that?"
"Never mind." Gabriel looked at Nash. "How often have you played this particular trick?"
"This was only the second time." Nash sighed wearily. "Worked bloody well the first time."
"So you decided to try it again."
"Had to." Nash gestured with his hand. "Out of money, ye see. And there's a bookseller I know who's offering an absolutely splendid copy of Guido delle Colonne's Historia Trojana. What could I do? I was desperate."
"I see your point," Gabriel said. "And I quite understand. Naturally you did not wish to part with a rather choice item from your own collection in order to finance the new purchase, if you could avoid it."
Nash's eyes flickered. "I knew when I saw you with the lady that there was going to be trouble."
"A bit," Gabriel conceded. "But if it's any consolation to you, I have been put to a great deal more trouble than you have. In fact, I have come to the conclusion that the lady is nothing but trouble."
"Right fierce little thing," Egan muttered. "Worried me, the way she kept badgering you to put up a fight."
"It worried me, too." Gabriel glanced at the box on Nash's desk. "I congratulate you on your scheme, gentlemen. Unfortunately, you picked the wrong victim this time. I really must insist that the lady's manuscript be returned. She is desolate at its loss. Surely you can understand."
"I suppose yer goin' to summon the magistrate?" Nash said.
"I see no reason to go to extremes." Gabriel walked forward and picked up the box. He kept the pistol in full view. "I shall be content as long as I get what I want."
"Well, you've got it," Nash muttered. "Take yerself off."
"There's one more thing," Gabriel murmured.
Nash glowered at him. "If ye want the lady's money back, yer too late. She paid in advance and I already sent off an order to that bookseller I told ye about."
"You're welcome to keep the money," Gabriel assured him. "What I want is the name and direction of the lady."
"Huh?" Egan stared at him. "Ye don't know her? But ye was with her."
"She is something of a mystery, I'm afraid. I was only along
"Damnation, Pa, I did it just like we planned it. Just like we did it the last time. How was I to know she'd have that big cove with her? What does it matter, anyhow? He didn't give me any trouble."
"Ye should've backed off when ye saw there was a gentleman with her," Nash growled back in response.
"I told ye, he didn't even put up a fight." There was a snort of derision. "Handed the damn box over as nice as ye please. It was the lady I was worryin' about. I swear, if she'd had a pistol, I'd have been done for. Stop frettin', Pa. We got the manuscript and the money the lady paid for it."
"I cannot help but fret," Nash retorted. "I did not like the looks of that gentleman who accompanied the lady. Something about him made me uneasy. Strange eyes. Green as emeralds, they were. And just as cold. Had a dangerous look to 'em. Never saw a man with eyes like that."
"Calm yourself, Pa. I told ye, he wasn't a problem."
Gabriel opened the door quietly. Nash was seated at his desk, his head in his hands. A thickset young man with heavy features was striding angrily back and forth across the small space left between aisles of books. A dashing black cape lay across a chair.
"I fear I am going to be something of a problem, after all," Gabriel said gently. He kept the pistol at his side, visible but not overtly threatening.
Both men whirled to face him. The young man's expression was one of dawning horror. Mr. Nash, after a brief start, looked gloomily resigned to his fate.
The young man recovered rapidly. "Here, now, what do ye mean by walkin' in on us without so much as a by yer leave? This is trcspassin'. I'll have ye taken up by the magistrate for this."
Gabriel glanced at him without much interest. "You must be Egan. The helpful son who sees to things around here."
Egan's eyes bulged. "How did ye know that?"
"Never mind." Gabriel looked at Nash. "How often have you played this particular trick?"
"This was only the second time." Nash sighed wearily. "Worked bloody well the first time."
"So you decided to try it again."
"Had to." Nash gestured with his hand. "Out of money, ye see. And there's a bookseller I know who's offering an absolutely splendid copy of Guido delle Colonne's Historia Trojana. What could I do? I was desperate."
"I see your point," Gabriel said. "And I quite understand. Naturally you did not wish to part with a rather choice item from your own collection in order to finance the new purchase, if you could avoid it."
Nash's eyes flickered. "I knew when I saw you with the lady that there was going to be trouble."
"A bit," Gabriel conceded. "But if it's any consolation to you, I have been put to a great deal more trouble than you have. In fact, I have come to the conclusion that the lady is nothing but trouble."
"Right fierce little thing," Egan muttered. "Worried me, the way she kept badgering you to put up a fight."
"It worried me, too." Gabriel glanced at the box on Nash's desk. "I congratulate you on your scheme, gentlemen. Unfortunately, you picked the wrong victim this time. I really must insist that the lady's manuscript be returned. She is desolate at its loss. Surely you can understand."
"I suppose yer goin' to summon the magistrate?" Nash said.
"I see no reason to go to extremes." Gabriel walked forward and picked up the box. He kept the pistol in full view. "I shall be content as long as I get what I want."
"Well, you've got it," Nash muttered. "Take yerself off."
"There's one more thing," Gabriel murmured.
Nash glowered at him. "If ye want the lady's money back, yer too late. She paid in advance and I already sent off an order to that bookseller I told ye about."
"You're welcome to keep the money," Gabriel assured him. "What I want is the name and direction of the lady."
"Huh?" Egan stared at him. "Ye don't know her? But ye was with her."
"She is something of a mystery, I'm afraid. I was only along
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