Read Online Quick, Amanda by Reckless - Free Book Online

of
    ancient legends to respond to a woman whose bold manner bespoke a courage that was both rare and
    dangerous in females. A troubadour could have created a very interesting legend based on the Veiled
    Lady.
    Whatever the reason for his compelling desire for her, it was clear that the only way to obtain the lady
    was to pretend to become involved in her mad scheme. It was bound to be an interesting task, to say the
    least.
    After all, he already knew who owned the manuscript of The Lady in the Tower she sought. The trick
    would be to keep her from discovering that fact while he lured her into his bed.
    Gabriel paused beside a row of bookcases that contained some of the most interesting items in his
    collection. He opened the glass doors, reached inside, and removed a volume bound in thickly padded
    leather.
    He carried the surprisingly heavy book over to the desk. There he put it down carefully and undid the
    tiny lock that secured the thick covers around the gilded vellum pages. He opened the book carefully and
    turned to the last page.
    For a moment he stood gazing thoughtfully down at the colophon, which was in Old French:
    Here ends the tale of The Lady in the Tower. I, William of Anjou, have written only the truth. A curse on
    he who would steal this book. May he drown beneath the waves. May he be consumed by flames. May
    he spend an eternal night in hell.
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    Gabriel Closed The Lady in the Tower very carefully and put it back in the case. The game he intended
    to play with his Veiled Lady was not without its risks.
    He wondered how she could have ever thought herself in love with Neil Baxter.
    She must still care a great deal for the bastard, Gabriel reflected with a frown. That was unfortunate.
    Baxter had not been worthy of such a spirited female.
    But Baxter had had a way with women, as Gabriel knew to his cost.
    He decided his initial goal would be to make the Veiled Lady forget her previous lover. Gabriel looked
    forward to the challenge.
    He let himself out of the small tower room and went down the narrow spiral staircase. His booted heels
    rang on the old stone.
    He was aware of a chill in the empty rooms of the third floor as he walked down the hall. It was almost
    impossible to keep Devil's Mist properly heated. When the castle had been built, the comfort of its
    occupants had not been a high priority. There was no getting around the fact that Gabriel had a
    monstrosity of a house on his hands. Refurbishing it would take years.
    He consoled himself with the knowledge that at least there was plenty of room for his books. There was
    also room to house his father's magnificent library, which Gabriel was in the process of rebuilding. And
    the castle certainly provided a suitable setting for his growing assortment of medieval armor.
    Nevertheless, the devil alone knew why he had succumbed to the whim that had made him buy the
    crumbling pile of stone here on the Sussex coast. The place was huge and he had no one to share it with
    except the members of his staff.
    Not that being alone was anything new to Gabriel. He had spent most of his life alone. His father had
    been a brilliant scholar who, after the death of Gabriel's mother, had devoted himself to the treasures in
    his library. He had been kind enough in his fashion, but there was little doubt but that he had preferred his
    books to the task of rearing a motherless son.
    Left to his own devices and the care of servants, Gabriel had learned early to create his own private
    world. He had done so from the age of five, populating it with a cast of characters from the Arthurian
    legends. When he had devoured all the tales he could find that dealt with the glories of ancient
    knighthood, he had begun writing his own.
    He had not kept any of his childish scribblings. They had been disposed of along with most of the rest of
    his worldly possessions when he had left England. But two years ago,