A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (4 page)

“
Well now, I guess that means you don
’
t-
”
MacRae began after the silence had dragged on for a full minute, but he fell suddenly silent, and slowly reached for the broad sword that was tucked behind Faidhiach
’
s saddle.

“
What-
”
Muira gasped, frightened, but she was instantly shushed.

“
Put the lady down, and we
’
ll make this nice and easy, MacRae!
”

Muira gasped, and shrank back against the solid protection of her rescuer as a harsh voice filled the air.  It was coming from somewhere amid the trees to their right. 

“
Lass, I
’
m going to put you down,
”
MacRae said, his voice quiet, but firm. 
“
They should realise who you are before-
”

“
No!
”
Muira cried, surprising herself, and shocking MacRae, as she clung to him tightly. 
“
If you put me down they
’
ll- they
’
ll-
”
kill you,
she finished silently.  She couldn
’
t bear the thought of anything happening to him! 
Just because he
’
d helped her and she felt obliged to return the favour
…
Muira quickly convinced herself that this was the only reason.

“
Look lass-
”
MacRae frowned, gently prising her hands off his shoulders.

“
Hurry up, MacRae, you scum!  Or your little lassie-
”

“
Ewan?!
”
Muira choked, recognising this second voice as that of her eldest brother.

“
Ah, friends of yours?
”
MacRae muttered. 

There were a few indistinguishable shouts and then a small party of men emerged from the bushes, all armed, all with their weapons trained on MacRae.

“
Let her
go
, MacRae!
”
Ewan snarled. 
“
If you
’
ve laid a finger on her, then God help me I
’
ll-
”

“
Ewan, no!
”
Muira cried before she could stop herself.

A terrifying hush fell over the men.  In the saddle behind her, Muira could
feel
MacRae
’
s annoyance and anger at being protected by a woman, while in front of her the men of her clan were regarding her with confused suspicion.   No one seemed to be prepared to be the one to break the dangerous silence.  For several tense minutes eyes flickered from man to man to woman, until Ewan finally spoke.

“
You
’
re the one sent to speak on behalf of Laird MacRae?
”
he asked, scowling up at the man holding his sister.

“
I am.  Lachlan MacRae.
”

Lachlan
.  Muria twisted, and glanced up at the man with one arm still looped around her waist.  The name suited him.

“
Well, Lachlan MacRae,
”
Ewan continued, his voice a low growl. 
“
You mind tell me what you
’
re doing with my sister?
”

“
I found her stranded ten miles up the road.  I was taking her back to Castle Cameron.
”

Muira squirmed uncomfortably as her brother
’
s frown moved from Lachlan to her.  He stared at her hard, taking in her bedraggled appearance, clearly at a loss at to what she has been up to, but unwilling to question her in the presence of the other men.  Muira was grateful for his restraint.  She didn
’
t think that she could bear to explain herself just yet, and certainly not in front of Lachlan and the other men.

She watched him mutter something to Ian, one of the other men who
’
d leapt out from the bushes, and then he lowered the bow and arrow he had drawn and walked up to Lachlan
’
s large bay mount.

“
Here, Muira,
”
he barked, lifting his arms to take her from the MacRae man.  Muira couldn
’
t understand her reluctance to leave the stranger and go with her brother, but she felt a definite wrench as she was pulled from Lachlan
’
s arms.

“
She won
’
t be able to walk,
”
Lachlan sighed heavily as Ewan tried to set Muira on the ground.

“
I hurt my ankle,
”
she mumbled awkwardly.  Her brother gave a slightly irritated groan and swung her up into his arms.  He nodded in Ian
’
s direction, communicating some silent instruction and then marched off to find his own horse. 
“
What are you doing?
”
Muira spluttered as she was carried away, looking over Ewan
’
s shoulder anxiously at Lachlan.

“
Taking
you
back to the castle,
”
Ewan informed her. 
“
God Muria, what have you been
doing
?
”
he demanded, locating his mount, tossing his sister up into the saddle and then swinging up behind her.

“
But- MacRae,
”
Muira gasped. 
“
Ian and the others, they won
’
t-
”

“
He
’
ll be fine,
”
Ewan frowned at her obvious concern for the other man. 
“
For now at any rate,
”
he added more sinisterly. 
“
Ian
’
s just going to escort him to the castle.
”

“
Just
escort him?
”
Muira repeated nervously. 
“
Then why can
’
t we wait?
”
she asked, still straining to see over Ewan
’
s shoulder, back to where they had left Lachlan with the men.

“
Muira!
”
Ewan snapped. 
“
Don
’
t tell me you
’
re actually worried about
him
?
”
he asked. 

Muira felt her cheeks redden guiltily. 
“
Of course not,
”
she blurted. 
“
I just- that is-
”

“
MacRae, he didn
’
t-
”
Ewan began awkwardly. 
“
I mean, he didn
’
t
touch
you did he, Muira?
”
he demanded fiercely. 
“
Because I swear on our mother
’
s grave if he-
”

“
Ewan, stop it,
”
Muira interrupted, her cheeks so hot she was certain that they were glowing. 
“
MacRae was a- a perfect gentleman,
”
she assured her brother quickly.

Ewan grunted something unintelligible. 
“
Well in that case- are you going to tell me what the hell you were doing ten miles from home?
”

Muira stared at her brother, considering telling him the truth for the umpteenth time, but she just couldn
’
t do it.  She was so ashamed of having been duped by Tavish.  Muira knew that she had to get married.  It was just- what was done.  She also knew that there was nothing that her brothers or father could do to break her engagement with her fianc
é
, at least not without bringing the whole family into disrepute.

Disgrace hadn
’
t seemed such a very terrible cross to bear that morning, however, not given the alternative.  Tavish had arrived in her room almost before dawn, before she
’
d even dressed.  She wasn
’
t sure how he
’
d managed to get there, but knew better than to question him. He had announced his intention to
…
test his husband
’
s rights.