Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason Page B

tension seeped out of her, and she closed her eyes, seeming to fall back into unconsciousness.
    Mrs. O’Leary rushed into the room, her skirts flying out behind her. “Gil, what happened? Is she all right?” She knelt on the floor beside the sofa and placed a hand on Bree’s arm.
    As much as he wanted to reassure her, Gil couldn’t lie. “She was riding one of the stallions. He spooked and threw her.”
    Instant tears moistened her blue eyes. “My poor baby.”
    â€œThe doctor should be here soon.”
    â€œWhat was she doing on a stallion? Why wasn’t she riding Sophie?”
    â€œI don’t know.” Guilt wound its way through Gil’s system. Could he have tried harder to prevent her from going? “I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. By the time I caught up, she’d been thrown.”
    Several minutes later, Mrs. Johnston appeared in the doorway. “Dr. Shepherd is here.”
    â€œShow him in, Alice.” Mrs. O’Leary pulled herself up tall and patted her hair into place. “Good morning, Doctor. Thank you for coming so quickly. Brianna’s had a fall from a horse.”
    The older man removed his hat and set it on the table by the chair, then stepped forward with his medical bag. Gil and Mrs. O’Leary moved aside to let him have access to Brianna, who lay immobile, the cloth still on her forehead.
    â€œTell me exactly what happened,” he commanded as he focused his attention on his patient.
    Gil explained what he’d witnessed while Dr. Shepherd examined Bree’s eyes, shining a tiny light into each one. Then he felt around her head, his ministrations rousing Brianna. Gil jerked each time she winced in pain.
    At last, Dr. Shepherd rose, his expression grim. “She’s a lucky young lady. She could have easily broken her neck or been paralyzed.” He turned his gaze to Bree. “You’ve escaped with only a concussion, though you’ll probably feel like you’ve been kicked by that horse tomorrow.”
    He picked up his bag and faced Mrs. O’Leary. “You’ll need to make sure she doesn’t fall into a deep sleep. For the next twenty-four hours, wake her every hour, make her stay awake long enough to take some sips of water or tea, and ensure she’s coherent. If at any time she appears worse, or you can’t wake her, send for me immediately.”
    The relief on Mrs. O’Leary’s face mirrored Gil’s own. Though serious, a concussion wasn’t life-threatening.
    Once again the doctor addressed Brianna. “I’d advise you to keep off horses for at least a week. And after that, if you do have to ride, try to stick with the gentle ones.” He softened the chiding with a wink.
    â€œThank you so much for coming, Dr. Shepherd.” Mrs. O’Leary accompanied the man out of the parlor, leaving Gil alone with Bree. He pulled one of the footstools over to the sofa and sat down, his eyes almost level with her wary ones.
    He watched her for a moment, trying to quell the urge to scold her further. “Mind telling me what that little adventure was about?”
    She turned her face toward the back of the settee—but not before he saw tears forming. Words of chastisement died on his lips. She didn’t need anyone to tell her how foolish she’d been. The regret on her face told him that much.
    He put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Bree, you can tell me anything. You know that, don’t you?”
    She didn’t answer him, but ripples of her distress trembled under his hand. If he didn’t expect Mrs. O’Leary back any moment, he’d have pulled her into his arms to comfort her. Instead, he settled on rubbing her shoulder in silence, hoping his presence helped. After several moments, when it became evident she wouldn’t speak to him, he reluctantly rose. “You need to rest. We’ll talk about it when you’re feeling