lacidly behind.
His legs didn't begin to shake until Ann burst out of the front door.
"Oh, sweet Lord, I've been looking for her everywhere. What happened? My poor lamb."
"She took a fall." He continued moving through Ann's fluttering hands. "She needs to get inside."
"In the parlor." Sprinting ahead, Ann called desperately up the stairs. "Mrs. Williamson, Jenny! I've found her." Then, to Michael, "How bad is she? Everyone's on the way. I called when I couldn't find her. Lay her down here on the sofa and let me see. Oh, sweetheart, your head."
"What in the world—" Mrs. Williamson stopped, out of breath, in the doorway.
"She's had a fall," Ann snapped out. "We need hot water, bandages."
"I fell off the cliff," Laura said as her head settled back into place.
"Oh, my dear God. Where does it hurt? Let me look at you."
She broke off when she heard the sound of cars speeding up the drive, doors slamming. "Everyone's here." Ann pressed a kiss to Laura's brow. "Everything's all right now."
Susan burst through the doorway first, stopped, braced herself as her heart tilted. "Well," she managed calmly enough, "what's all this?"
"I fell off a cliff," Laura told her. "Michael got me up. I hit my head."
That was all she got out before the room filled with people and hands that wanted to touch and voices that babbled questions.
"Quiet." Thomas took his daughter's hand, shot the order out to the group at large. "Josh, call the doctor, tell him we're bringing Laura in—"
"No." Rousing herself, Laura sat up and patted Kayla's head as her daughter laid it in her mother's lap. "I don't need the doctor. I've just hit my head."
"It's a nasty bump," Mrs. Williamson tutted as she continued to clean the blood and dirt from Laura's head. "Wouldn't be surprised if you have a concussion here, little girl. Michael?"
He didn't notice all the eyes that focused on him. All he could do was stare down at Laura. "I don't know how long she was out. Five, six minutes. But she's been lucid, her vision's not blurred. There's nothing broken." He wiped a hand over his mouth. "She had a dislocated shoulder. She probably fell on her left side. It'll be sore, but she's got good rotation."
"I don't want to go to the hospital. The ER will be packed with people after a tremor. I don't want to be one of them. I need to be home."
"Then you should stay home." Margo crouched beside her. "We can take care of you. You gave us a scare."
"Gave myself one." Murmuring, she wrapped her arm around Ali as the girl burrowed into her side. "I'm fine. Just a few bumps and bruises. It was quite an adventure."
"Try scuba diving the next time you want an adventure." Reaching over the back of the couch, Kate laid a hand on Laura's shoulder. "My heart can't take this."
"We found Seraphina's dowry."
"What?" Kate's fingers gripped. "What?"
"It's there, on the ledge where I fell. There was a cave, and it was there. Wasn't it, Michael? I didn't imagine it, did I?"
"It's there. I'll get it for you."
"You'll be getting nothing," Mrs. Williamson said, lifting her voice over the fresh spurt of questions. "Sit down before you fall down, boy, and let me see to your hands. You've made a fine mess of yourself."
"Oh, good Lord." Focusing on someone other than her daughter for the first time, Susan snagged Michael's wrist. His hands were coated with dirt and blood, the knuckles mangled. "You've cut them to pieces." Her eyes lifted to his, swam, overflowed as she realized what he'd done. "Michael."
"They're fine. I'm fine." He jerked away. Abruptly, he couldn't breathe, wasn't certain how much longer he could stand. "I've got to see to my horses."
When he staggered out, Susan took a step after him. "Mom." Josh put a hand on her arm. "Let me. Please."
"Bring him back here, Josh. He needs tending to."