A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (10 page)

Muira listened silently as her uncle continued to talk, softly condemning Lachlan for a sin that was not his
…
  She tuned out after a while, and hoped that Lachlan was able to do the same.  She feared that he was taken on board ever condemnation, storing them up ready to lash them against her later. 

She dipped her head to her uncle and aunt as they left the formal chamber, and then her heartbeat seemed to beat in time to the funeral march as Lachlan took her arm and led her after them, waiting for her to guide him out of the public rooms to the privacy of her chambers.

Muira didn
’
t know how she expected to put off the inevitable any longer, but a part of her was still hoping for some miracle- that her father or brothers would intervene, but she didn
’
t belong to them now. 

She walked as slowly as she possibly could to her room, painfully aware of the insistent pressure of Lachlan
’
s hand on her arm. 
Was he going to snap when they were properly alone
, she wondered fearfully?  Would she close the door of her room and find herself shut in with a dangerous, violent warrior?

“
Here,
”
she mumbled quietly, stopping and nodding towards the door of her room. 

Lachlan didn
’
t say anything, so she reached for the handle, pushed open the door and stepped inside the chamber.  She felt his hand leave her arm as he turned and closed the door, trapping her- just as she had trapped him?  Muira drew a shaky breath and started trembling all over again.

In the cruel silence of the room she was aware of how loud her breathing was, of how fast and scared it sounded.  She waited for Lachlan to speak, because somehow
not
hearing him say anything was actually far more frightening than if he
’
d immediately started yelling.

Eventually, unable to stand it any long, Muira turned around to face her husband.  She opened her mouth, but no words would come out.  It was impossible to speak- to
think
- with Lachlan staring at her so closely.  He looked like he was trying to piece together a puzzle that wouldn
’
t fit, and getting angrier about it by the second.

“
Well now, I think you owe me one rather huge explanation, don
’
t you, Muira?
”
he breathed quietly.

She didn
’
t know why a tremor shivered through her body at the sound of her name on his lips, but it did.  She licked her own lips and tried to find an answer for him that he might accept.  She
’
d had days to think up something, why had she gone and left it until the last moment, she panicked?

“
Well?
”
Lachlan pressed, his voice sharper than before.  He walked across to the window and lent back against the sill. 
“
Explain.
”

“
Tavish t-told everyone that you
’
d- compromised my honour,
”
she mumbled, her cheeks blazing.

Lachlan snorted. 
“
That much I know.  That much I even understand,
”
he growled. 
“
What I don
’
t understand is why you didn
’
t set anyone straight.
”

“
I tried!
”
Muira lied, because she was scared of what might happen if she didn
’
t feign innocence. 

A spark of fury flashed in Lachlan
’
s eyes, and then he was practically on top of her, gripping her by the shoulders and shaking her as he spoke. 
“
Liar!
”
he hissed. 
“
I told you what I think of liars!
”
he snarled. 
“
You might have lied to everyone else, but by God you are going to tell me the truth!
”
he roared, throwing her away from him and onto the bed.

Muira hit the mattress and curled in on herself, tensing her entire body as she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight.  She fought back tears until she just couldn
’
t hold them in any longer.  They broke forth in loud, violent sobs.

“
Don
’
t
cry!
”
Lachlan barked, which only made Muira cry harder.  There was a beat of stillness and silence, and then Lachlan
’
s hands were on her again, pulling her back up to face him.  Muira shrieked at the touch, but Lachlan didn
’
t let go. 
“
Tell me why you did it?
”
he demanded roughly, shaking her again.

“
I- I was scared!
”
she wailed, pushing and beating at his chest, but knowing that she was utterly powerless to save herself.

It took her a full minute to realise that she wasn
’
t being shaken any more. 

Breathlessly, Muira forced herself to look up into Lachlan
’
s face.  He had her held so that she was knelt on the high mattress of her bed, and so their eyes, for once, were almost level.  There was a great wealth of anger still bubbling and boiling beneath the surface of his eyes, Muira could see it there, but for some reason he was managing to restrain it.

“
Scared of what?
”
Lachlan asked. 

He was staring at her hard, and once again looking like he was trying to decipher some unfathomable problem.  Muira found it too difficult to meet his gaze, so she dipped her head, looking instead at Lachlan
’
s broad chest as she bit her lip and tried to think what to say.

“
Muira?
”
he pressed.  There was a sliver of gentleness in Lachlan
’
s voice now, just a sliver, but it was still there, and it made Muira
’
s heart ache. 
“
What were you scared of?
”
  The hands gripping her arms hard enough to leave bruises lessened their hold a little, although she was not freed completely. 
“
Muira, talk to me,
”
Lachlan commanded, and she didn
’
t dare refuse.

“
Tavish,
”
she croaked.  Fresh tears began falling.  These were silent, but they coated her cheeks just as thoroughly as the first ones that she
’
d spilled.

“
Tavish?
”
Lachlan repeated.  He was ignorant of most the names of the Cameron clan, although, if he had to make an educated guess then he thought he could probably work out who this
‘
Tavish
’
was- and what he might have done.

“
Tavish MacEa
ntach,
”
Muira nodded, her voice very small and frightened. 
“
He was my- he was my fianc
é
,
”
she said, flinching. 
“
The man you found me with the other night,
”
she mumbled.

“
The man who did this?
”
Lachlan asked, still frowning, and then to Muira
’
s absolute amazement he let go of her arm and brushed the backs of his fingers gently again her bruised face.

“
Y-yes,
”
she admitted.  Her skin tinged where he
’
d touched her.

“
And worse?
”
he grunted.

Muira wasn
’
t entirely certain that she understood what he meant, but she nodded her head anyway; as far as she was concerned Tavish had done much,
much
worse that strike her across the face.  A growl seemed to have lodged itself in Lachlan
’
s throat.  She peeped up at him timidly.  He opened his mouth, but then shut it again, only to reopen it a second later.

“
Your brothers?  They knew this?
”
he asked harshly.

Muira winced and quickly shook her head.  She thought of what Tavish had said the morning she
’
d run away. 
“
Tavish h-he would have convinced them it was my fault,
”
she stammered. 
“
He
’
s so good at twisting things- at getting what he wants,
”
she whispered.

“
He didn
’
t get you,
”
Lachlan said, with what almost looked like a smirk, but by the time Muira had blinked it was gone. 
“
They
would
have believed you, Muira,
”
he sighed.  She started to shake her head, but he continued. 
“
It
’
s obvious how much they love you-
”