A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (17 page)

There was a flicker of something in the other man
’
s eyes.  It wasn
’
t respect, but it might have been reluctant agreement.

“
All right, MacRae,
”
Ewan nodded. 
“
But don
’
t think that means you
’
re safe.
”

“
I wouldn
’
t dream of it,
”
Lachlan grunted, turning back to find that Muira was now waiting beside the carriage. 
“
Ready lass?
”
he asked, not waiting for her to answer before offering his hand to help her up into the coach. 

Lachlan followed after her, shutting the door on the Cameron clan with a sigh of relief.  Muira waved and shouted her goodbyes, until they were out of sight of the castle and the little party of people who had been there to see her off.  Once they had travelled through the castle gates she sank back onto her seat, her face downcast as she studiously studied her lap.

“
Do you suppose we
’
ll ever come back?
”
she asked, in a small voice.

Lachlan thought that he could live the rest of his life quite happily never stepping foot inside Castle Cameron again, but he didn
’
t think that was the reply Muira wanted, and for some reason cheering her up a little was important to him.

“
I should think so,
”
he said carefully.  And he did, if he
’
d been having any doubts, then the instant smile that lit Muira
’
s face banished them.

They rolled along in near silence after that.  Lachlan studied Muira as she gazed out of the window, watching the scenery of her childhood pass by as she helplessly left it behind.  Occasionally she would point something out to him, a particular spot by a brook where she and her brothers used to picnic when they were children, or a stretch of open field were her father had taught her to ride, but for the most part she was silent. 

“
There is it,
”
Muira said suddenly, when they were a few hours into their drive.

Lachlan roused himself from his dozy state and glanced out of the window to see what his wife was pointing at this time.  It didn
’
t look like anything terribly significant, and then it hit Lachlan.

“
The spot where I found you,
”
he breathed quietly.  Muira nodded her head, and then she turned and shot him a sad smile.

“
Would you like to stop the coach, so that you can place me back there where you found me?
”
she asked softly, possibly trying to tease, and staring up at him with eyes that Lachlan was sure were now flecked with blue. 
She was so beautiful
…
he thought as he remembered the first time that he
’
d seen her, damp and wretched, and he
’
d
still
thought her pretty, well now she was truly dazzling.

“
Don
’
t be silly,
”
he said gruffly, dragging his gaze away from Muira
’
s up turned face so that he could scowl at the opposite seat.

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
she said quickly. 
“
I didn
’
t mean to make you angry.
”

“
I
’
m not angry,
”
Lachlan sighed. 
“
I
’
m-
”
he wasn
’
t even sure himself what he was, but he thought it might have something to do with the fact that Muira seemed so certain that he was going to let her down. 
“
I wish you
’
d have a little more faith in me, that
’
s all lass,
”
he sighed eventually.

Muira tilted her head to the side and regarded him curiously. 
“
What do you mean?
”
she asked uncertainly.

Lachlan dragged a hand through his hair. 
“
This wasn
’
t a set of circumstances that I ever envisaged, Muira, I
’
ll grant you that,
”
he sighed,
“
but now that we are man and wife I want you to understand how seriously I take that position- how seriously I take the vows I made to you and God in that chapel.
”

“
Oh, Lachlan-
”

Muira was looking worryingly close to tears again, so Lachlan continued hastily:
“
what I
’
m trying to say, is that I think it would be best if we stopped-
”
he paused to find the right word,
“
-
dwelling
so heavily on the exact circumstances of our marriage.
”

It didn
’
t mean that he was forgiving her.  It did
not
mean that he was forgiving her
…

Muira
’
s face appeared to take on a hopeful hew, but she still didn
’
t seem ready to trust her good fortune. 
“
But- won
’
t that be rather difficult, I mean, once we get to Eilean Donan Castle and everyone there knows-
”

“
But how will everyone there know, Muira?
”
Lachlan asked her carefully.

“
Well, when you tell them-
”
she began with a puzzled frown.

“
What if I
don
’
t
tell them?
”
Lachlan sighed heavily.

“
You mean
lie
?
”
Muira gaped. 
“
But- but
why
would you do that?
”
she blurted. 
“
I mean you
hate
liars!
”

Lachlan lent back in his seat and shut his eyes for a moment. 
“
I do,
”
he growled,
“
but-
”
he paused. 
“
You
’
re-
we
’
re
going to have to life among these people for a very long time,
”
he sighed again. 
“
And if we tell them- well, MacRaes have awfully long memories.
”

Muira gave her head a small, but hopeful nod. 
“
What would you tell them though?
”
she asked.

“
That I haven
’
t quite work out yet,
”
Lachlan confessed, shooting Muira a roughish smile. 
“
But by the time we arrive I
’
ll have thought of something, don
’
t you worry,
”
he assured her, reaching out to give her hand a light squeeze.

Lachlan hadn
’
t known it was possible to feel shivers
through
a woman
’
s glove before
…
he released Muira
’
s hand quickly.  If she
’
d noticed anything odd then she didn
’
t show any sign of it.

“
Well, if you don
’
t, we
’
ll just have to tell them the truth,
”
she said bravely, and Lachlan caught himself smiling at her again. 
“
I can cope with that,
”
she added, and Lachlan wasn
’
t sure who she was trying to convince
–
him or herself.

“
You won
’
t have to,
”
he promised. 
“
I
’
ll look after you, Muira,
”
he murmured, and meant it, and then slowly, almost so as not to frighten her, he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.