A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (48 page)

“
You
’
ll be busy all day again?
”
she asked quietly.  She didn
’
t mean to cling, but she felt lost without him.

“
Aye, I expect so,
”
Lachlan nodded, picking up his kilt. 
“
Can
’
t be helped.
”

“
Oh I know that,
”
Muira said quickly. 
“
I do understand,
”
she added,
“
I just- I miss you I suppose,
”
she mumbled, colour staining her cheeks once more.  When she looked up, she found that Lachlan was grinning at her again. 
“
What?
”
she demanded defensively, but her husband simply shook his head, still smiling.

He finished dressing swiftly, and was ready to go before Muira had even rung for her maid.  Lachlan dropped a kiss to her lips in farewell and then turned to leave.  He was just opening up the door when she called to him.

“
What am I meant to do, Lachlan?
”
she asked quietly.  He looked over his shoulder uncertainly. 
“
I can help- with the running of the castle- with
something
- my aunt used to-
”

“
It might be best if you didn
’
t try to do too much just yet, lass,
”
Lachlan said carefully. 
“
Just let people get used to you first-
”

“
Stay out of the way you mean?
”
Muira frowned, hurt. 
“
Lachlan I
’
m not useless!
”
she cried.

Her husband sighed, and turned around fully to face her properly. 
“
Aye, I know that, lass.  Just- give it time,
”
he implored.  Muira continued to stare at him unhappily, but Lachlan had apparently said all that he was going to on the subject; he turned away again, and left the room.

“
So much for being amazing then,
”
Muira snorted, thumping a pillow soundly.

..ooOOoo..

Muira
’
s mood was no better by the time Liane arrived to help her dress.  If she weren
’
t allowed a proper role within the castle than she would surely be bored to death!  She bemoaned this fact to Bridghe too, when her sister-in-law arrived as promised to check on her.

“
You
’
ll have roles enough when Lachlan
’
s the laird,
”
she pointed out. 
“
You should enjoy lounging around with nothing to do while you can.
”
  Liane gave a vigorous nod of her head, probably wishing that she had a little less to do around the castle herself.

“
When
Lachlan
’
s the laird?
”
Muira repeated hopefully. 
“
You really don
’
t think I
’
ve ruined it for him then?
”
she asked breathlessly. 

Bridghe frowned slightly, probably because of the odd way that she
’
d phrased the question, Muira realised belatedly.  However the other woman didn
’
t make anything of it in the end.

“
Lachlan
’
s the best man for the position by a long way,
”
Bridghe argued. 
“
People might be a little
…
upset about things now,
”
she admitted, dropping her gaze. 
“
But they aren
’
t stupid.  Most people will come around, given time,
”
she said with a small smile.

“
I hope you
’
re right,
”
Muira sighed. 
“
But in the meantime, what am I meant to do?
”

Bridghe smiled innocently. 
“
Have lots of little MacRae babies?  Lachlan isn
’
t exactly getting any younger you know,
”
she giggled.

“
Bridghe!
”
Muira gasped, laughing, but clapping a hand over her mouth as if she couldn
’
t quite believe what the other woman had said.

“
Well he
isn
’
t
,
”
Bridghe continued to giggle. 
“
Besides, my two need some playmates,
”
she added more seriously. 
“
Eithne and Sorcha had lovely children, but they
’
re so much older than the twins.
”

“
Lachlan and I haven
’
t really talked about having children,
”
Muira murmured.  She stared down at her hands, all of a sudden glad of the distraction of Liane fixing her hair.  She wondered what it would be like to bear Lachlan
’
s babies?

“
Well, it
’
s not exactly something that needs discussing, is it?
”
Bridghe raised an eyebrow at her sister-in-law. 
“
You forget how long I
’
ve know my brother,
”
she said, rolling her eyes, before then staring pointedly at Muira stomach. 
“
I can almost guarantee that the twins will have a new little cousin before twelve months pass,
”
she smirked.

“
Bridghe!
”
Muira choked. 
“
My goodness!  You really do say what you think, don
’
t you?
”
she gaped.

The older woman smiled cheekily. 
“
The consequence of spending too much time with one
’
s brother when growing up I fear.
”

“
Well I have two brothers, and I never-
”

“
Ah yes-
”
Bridghe interrupted Muira, her voice suddenly serious again. 
“
Sorcha was telling me, one of them is the tanist?
”

“
Ewan
’
s the war captain,
”
Muira frowned. 
“
How did your sister-?
”

“
Graem told my mother, and my mother told-
”

“
Everyone?
”
Muira whimpered.

“
Oh it
’
s not so bad as that,
”
Bridghe assured her. 

Muira thought that it was ever so kind of Lachlan
’
s sister to befriend and bolstered her in such a manner.  She knew that Bridghe had originally been acting out of a love for her brother, but Muira thought that maybe the spark of a real friendship had formed between them.

“
What are your plans for today then, Muria?
”
she asked, sitting down in front of the fire while Liane put the finishing touches to her mistress
’
s hair.

Keeping out of everyone
’
s way
…
Muira almost replied.  She managed to stop herself however, and answered instead with a little shrug.

“
I suppose you could come with me to see Eithne,
”
she said slowly. 
“
I
’
m sure she wouldn
’
t mind.  Sorcha
’
s going too, so you could meet the whole family.
”

Muira wasn
’
t sure that she wanted to meet the whole family, at least not without the protection of her husband.  If Eithne and Sorcha were just like Bridghe then she would be fine, but if they took after their mother
…