A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (3 page)

“
And I thought I was going to have to walk the whole way to the castle,
”
Lachlan said cheerfully. 
“
This is a turn up for the books.
”

“
What are you- what do you-
”
Muira spluttered, gaping as Lachlan threw Fiad
’
s reigns back over his head.  He let the horse keep his steady, walking pace, but moved around to his side, easily planting one foot into the stirrup before swinging himself up onto the animal
’
s back behind Muria.

“
Well I can
’
t have you falling off,
”
Lachlan pointed out practically. 
“
I don
’
t think that would go down too well with Camerons,
”
he sighed, reaching around Muira
’
s body to grasp the reigns.

“
I wasn
’
t in any danger of falling off, MacRae!
”
Muria gasped breathlessly, and in truth she was squirming so much with Lachlan
’
s body pressed against her own that she really did seem in greater danger of being dismounted with him there with her than she had without. 
“
And I really don
’
t think that you should- that I should-
”
she fumbled to a halt. 
“
I don
’
t even know you!
”
she wailed.

“
No, that is true enough,
”
he conceded softly.

“
All I do know about you is that you
’
re a MacRae,
”
she pointed out petulantly.

“
In fairness, lass, all I know about you is that you
’
re a Cameron,
”
Lachlan replied evenly.   He watched the back of Muira
’
s head as she gaze a small nod.

“
And yet, you still helped me,
”
she whispered, twisting so that she could look up into his face.  Even with her this close, Lachlan still couldn
’
t work out if her eyes were blue or green or grey.  
“
Why did you do that?
”
she pressed, and deciphering the colour of her eyes flew straight out of Lachlan
’
s head, the sight of her mouth, slightly parted and too temptingly close to his own transfixed him.

Lachlan wrenched his gaze away before he had time to make a fool of himself, forcing himself to look at the road ahead and nowhere else.  What the
hell
was wrong with him?  He shook his head, as if he was forcibly trying to clear it.  His life would not be worth living if he compromised a woman from the Cameron clan- because he wouldn
’
t
have
a life for very long afterwards.  Lachlan was rather certain of that fact.

“
MacRae?
”
Muira pressed.

“
I
’
m
not
an animal,
”
he growled.  The woman looked abashed.  She stared down at her hands and fell silent.  Lachlan sighed heavily.  He wasn
’
t sure if his words had been meant to convince Muira or himself
…

..ooOOoo..

Muira was getting use to the rocking of the man
’
s horse.  It was a less smooth motion that she was used to on her little grey mare, but then the great bay gelding looked like some kind of fierce war charger
…
  What she was
not
getting used to was the feel of MacRae
’
s arm about her waist, holding her steady, nor the feel of his chest pressed tight against her body.  It was making her flushed and strangely uncomfortable, but in a way that was almost
…
pleasurable?

Muira didn
’
t understand it.  Her fianc
é
had ensured that she had never encountered a man
’
s touch without feeling fear.  And yet, she could tell from the way that Macrae moved, from the breadth of his chest and the height of his body that he was just as strong as Tavish- if not more so!  But while Tavish MacEantach wielded his strength like an unpredictable weapon, the steely power of MacRae
’
s body was harnessed in a way that made Muira
…
shivery? 

It excited her.  She bit the inside of her lip guiltily.  He was the enemy!  And yet, she had rarely felt so safe.  She should hate him, and for more than simply being of the MacRae clan.  He was taking her back to Castle Cameron.

The castle had been her home for ten of her eighteen years, ever since her mother
’
s death, when her father, the laird
’
s brother, had moved back into his childhood residence with his daughter and two sons.  Muira had quickly become an indispensable member of the household.  The laird had no daughters, only sons, so Muira had become her aunt
’
s favourite little helper. 

She had learnt a great deal from her aunt.  Fine embroidery and needlework; to sing, to play the harp, but she
’
d also been instructed how to manage the running of a castle like Cameron.  She had watched her aunt receive distinguished guests, manage the staff, and as she grew older Muira had been entrusted with certain important tasks around the castle, assuming the position of laird
’
s daughter more than laird
’
s niece.

While her father had been saddened by this loss, he could not deny its probable benefits.  The most important, the most powerful men of the Cameron clan wanted to court Muira, undoubtedly hoping to gain influence with the laird, but also being in a position to provide Muira with the life with which she had become accustomed.  A life that was not open to her as only the daughter of the second son of a laird.

Muira had accepted this fate happily enough.  She was not like her best friend, Cait, she did not believe in
forevers
and
happy ever afters
.  When Tavish MacEantach had declared an interest in her she had been over the moon.  Tavish was handsome and wealthy, well-connected and very intelligence.  She had already accepted his proposal by the time she learnt that he was also ruthless and vicious, cruel and ambitious
…

Muira shivered, and was then suddenly pulled back from her dismal thoughts.

“
Are you cold?
”
  A concerned voice asked softly.

Muira started still further when she realised that she seemed to have dozed off.  She was cuddled up close against MacRae
’
s chest.  Her head was resting on his shoulder and her arms had wound themselves around his waist.  She gasped and tried push herself away, but only succeeded in unbalancing herself and almost falling from the saddle.

“
Hey, lass, it
’
s all right,
”
MacRae soothed, holding her tight so that she didn
’
t tumble off the horse, and apparently misjudging the reason for her panic. 
“
You
’
re safe.  You remember what happened?
”
 

Muira nodded dumbly.  It was dusk now, but she recognised the road well, they weren
’
t more than a mile from Castle Cameron.  She marvelled at the fact that members of her clan, out keeping the roads safe, hadn
’
t seen them.  She was frankly amazed that they had gotten so far without being stopped.  Although, MacRae did act like he was expected, so perhaps it wasn
’
t actually so surprising?   

She
had
thought that they might encounter someone looking for her.  She supposed that she hadn
’
t been gone that long, twelve hours at the most, but still, Muira couldn
’
t help but feel a
little
affronted that no one had noticed.  What was the point of running away, she wondered, if no one realised that you were gone?

“
What is it that you want at Cameron Castle, MacRae?
”
Muira asked.  She was suddenly curious, and wanting a distraction from her own thoughts.  He wasn
’
t a threat, not travelling alone as he was, unless, she gasped, he was a messenger, delivering some dreadful message of war!

“
Well now, if I tell you that, do you think you might tell me what you were doing running about the Highlands on your own?
”
MacRae replied.  Muira thought that she could
hear
the grin that she sensed was plastered on his face.

She stayed silent, wondering how ridiculous, how childish, she would sound to this man if she confessed that she had been running away.  Muira sighed.  Running away with a handful of money and only the clothes on her back.  It had been a foolish thing to do.  If MacRae hadn
’
t found her she would probably still be stranded miles back down the road.  She shivered, that, or someone less gallant might have found her.

Besides, he
’
d want to know what she
’
d been running away from as well if she mentioned anything.