Chapter Text
Louisa was safely down, and instantly, to show her enjoyment, ran up the steps to be jumped down again. Wentworth warned against such foolishness, but in vain. His concern grew. He could sense her determination, her obstinacy now insensitive to all reason. There was only one thing to be done. In one swift movement he was back on the stairs himself, reaching for her arm to protect her from the effects of her folly. It was his own fault, really. His steps had been hasty and careless, more concerned with her safety than his own. He had disregarded the uneven nature of the surface, the slickness of rock rendered damp by sea spray. A navy Captain never lost his footing – until he did. His boot found no resistance as it slipped off the stone, his hand grasped in vain for some hold on the wall. A muffled scream, if his or someone else’s he couldn’t have said, and then the world turned into a sea of pain and darkness.