A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (15 page)

“
Better?
”
he murmured, stroking her back in soothing circles.  She hiccupped against his damp chest, and Lachlan couldn
’
t hide a smile. 
“
Now then, what was that all about?
”
he asked softly.

“
I- don
’
t know how to make it better,
”
she croaked, her voice exhausted from crying.

“
Make what better, lass?
”
Lachlan asked, still keeping his voice low and soothing, so relieved that she
’
d stemmed her tears that he was loathed to do anything that might trigger another onslaught.

“
You
know
what,
”
she whispered shakily. 

Lachlan nodded slowly, but he was somewhat distracted.  He didn
’
t know if Muira was conscious of the fact, but she was tracing nonsensical patterns over the bare skin of his shoulder with her fingers.

“
It would have been better for everyone if you
’
d never found me,
”
she moaned, but she was clinging to him as if he was the only thing in the world that was offering her protection.  Lachlan hadn
’
t realised until that moment how
good
it felt to be needed.

“
Don
’
t say that, Muira,
”
he growled, tightening his arms around her body.  If he hadn
’
t found her, who might have?  It didn
’
t bear thinking about- and what if she
hadn
’
t
been found, she could have died
…

“
But, Lachlan, I
’
ve ruined your life,
”
she whispered, and she sounded so achingly
certain
of the fact that he didn
’
t know what to say.  He
wasn
’
t
ready to forgive her, but he didn
’
t know if he could stand seeing her so wretchedly unhappy for very much longer.

“
I wouldn
’
t say
ruined
,
”
he said very carefully.

“
What would you say?
”
Muira hiccupped again.

The only answer that Lachlan gave was a heavy sigh, followed by a long, awkward silence.  He wished that Muira hadn
’
t pressed, but he didn
’
t know how to respond.  It was really too soon to tell what overall effect her rash actions would have on their lives. 

A corner of his Lachlan
’
s mind did realise that his life needn
’
t change dramatically.  He would still see the same faces, hold the same position in his clan, sleep with the same women if he chose- for Muira everything had altered- her name, her home, her clan.  She had chosen this route for them, but Lachlan was beginning to wonder if it wasn
’
t going to be harder for Muira to adjust.

“
Lachlan?
”
she murmured sadly, when the silence had drawn out for too long.

“
I-
”
he began, but was interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door. 
“
Come in,
”
he barked. 

A maid walked in with a large breakfast tray.  She placed it down on a table, curtsied, blushed when she caught sight of the newly wedded couple in bed and still wrapped in each other
’
s arms, and then hurried out of the room.

“
Oh dear,
”
Muira mumbled, blushing herself.

Lachlan just chuckled.  He moved to press a reassuring kiss on the top of his wife
’
s head, but in the end thought better of it.  He moved out of Muira
’
s embrace and rolled out of bed, reaching for his clothes with a decided lack of concern for his nakedness.  Muira had proven less skittish than he
’
d imagined.  She just needed to be a little
…
acclimatised, before he attempted the next step. 

Lachlan kept his back to her, but it was still more than he
’
d thought she
’
d tolerate. 
Oh my
, he was sure that he heard Muira whimper, but when he turned to face her, (kilt firmly now in place,) she was staring fixedly at her hands.  Lachlan smiled to himself about his shy little wife, and quickly finished dressing.

“
Are you going to join me for breakfast?
”
he asked, looking hungrily over the array of food that had been served.

Could men always be distracted by their stomachs
, Muira wonder with a little frown.  Her brothers were just the same.  She was still aching to know Lachlan
’
s answer to her question.  If she hadn
’
t ruined his life what had she done?  But she didn
’
t see that revisiting that subject was going to be terribly easy now.

“
Well, aren
’
t you hungry?
”
Lachlan pressed when he got no response from the bed, merrily helping himself to a bowl of steaming porridge.

Muira found herself smiling at him, despite everything.  She wasn
’
t sure why, perhaps simply because it made her happy to see him happy? 
Happier
, Muira amended silently.  There were still shadows in his eyes.

She slipped out of bed and made a quick dash for her dressing gown, wrapping it tightly around her waist before joining Lachlan at the table.  She helped herself to a small breakfast; unlike her husband, Muira really couldn
’
t say that she was overly hungry.

“
How long do you suppose it will take to get to Eilean Donan?
”
she asked quietly, nibbling at her food.  She was still having trouble getting used to the idea that she was leaving her home, her friends, her family for new places and people.

“
Two, maybe three days,
”
Lachlan informed her. 
“
It depends if there are any problems on the roads.
”

“
What kind of problems?
”
Muira asked quickly, and a tad fearfully. 

Lachlan shot her a reassuring smile. 
“
Trees coming down mainly, and there are some stretches of road that flood,
”
he paused and glanced out of the window at the clear sky. 
“
We should be fine though.  It
’
s still too early in the year for the weather to turn really nasty.
”

Muira nodded her head and took Lachlan
’
s word for that- her own experience of such things was minimal.

“
I meant what I said early you know,
”
Lachlan said gently, catching his wife by surprise. 
“
We don
’
t have to leave today if you really don
’
t want to.
”

“
I- I want to,
”
Muira replied, in what she hoped was a certain tone of voice. 
“
Best to get it over with,
”
she murmured to herself.  Lachlan didn
’
t hear her.

“
Well, I should go down to the stables and see what
’
s going on then,
”
he said, moving towards the door. 
“
You
’
ll be all right here on your own?
”

“
Fine.
”
  Muira nodded, intrigued as to why he
’
d suddenly asked.  He had left her alone for hours the day before and not worried.  What could have possibly changed over night? 

“
Good,
”
Lachlan said. 
“
I won
’
t be long.  You should probably start getting ready.  If we
’
re going to make it all the way to The Three Oaks before nightfall we
’
ll have to leave quite soon.
”

Muira nodded again, and then stared down at her lap as she listened to her husband leave the room.  She hadn
’
t been alone for more than a couple of minutes when there was a light knock on the door.  For a second Muria felt a fluttering of panic, but then reasoned that Tavish wouldn
’
t knock on her door if he were able to descend.