A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (50 page)

Eithne was a little too much like their mother for Lachlan liking, quick to judge and hard of heart, and he was also slightly annoyed that
he
wasn
’
t getting the first opportunity to show off his new wife.  He wondered why that should be
…
Deciding against lingering in the room alone to dwell on his thoughts, Lachlan wandered back out into the hall and made his way towards Graem
’
s rooms.

He had been working with the Laird for much of the day.  Graem wanted to redraw the MacRae
’
s western borders with the Camerons, offering the other clan a portion of the land that had been taken away from them a hundred years beforehand.  The land in question wasn
’
t especially fertile.  In fact, it consisted mainly of bogs, which was the only reason why Graem would possibly be allowed to get away with it by his own clan.

His intentions hadn
’
t been made public knowledge yet.  Lachlan could only imagine the objections that would erupt when they were finally disclosed!  His visit to Castle Cameron had originally been intended to test how the MacRaes would respond to such a gesture
…
suffice to say he hadn
’
t had that opportunity, and consequently Graem was considering asking an emissary from the MacRaes to visit them at Eilean Donan Castle.

Lachlan had been going to tell Muira the news.  He was sure that one of her cousins or brothers would be asked to come, and he
’
d thought she might be cheered up by the prospect of seeing a familiar face. 

Only she wasn
’
t around to be cheered up
, Lachlan grumped.

He walked into Graem
’
s library, took a key that he had been given by the old man, and opened up a locked desk drawer.  Lachlan took from the drawer a roll of old parchment- the roll of old parchment that he had spent much of the day agonising over.  He sat down and began to agonise again.  The problem they faced was giving something away that they wouldn
’
t miss, while presenting the Camerons with a stretch of land that appeared to be of value.  Despite popular MacRae opinion to the contrary, the Camerons
weren
’
t
idiots.

Graems library happened to be at the front of the castle, so when a carriage drew at the main doors, Lachlan heard.  He couldn
’
t seem to stop himself from getting to his feet and wandering over to the window to look outside. 

The sight that met his eyes was expected, but his breath still left his body as Lachlan looked down on his wife.  She was so beautiful.  Curvy and lush in all the right places, with bright sparkling eyes that he was too far away to be able to see clearly, and rich locks of red hair that Lachlan would happily lie tangled in forever.

His body was already keening towards her.  Longing to rush down to meet her, or to at least hurry back to their rooms so that he would be there waiting to draw her into his arms when she arrived.  However, whatever his body
…
and heart
…
might cry, Lachlan
’
s mind was intent on keeping him exactly where he was- to prove to himself that he was a man still in control of emotions and desires
…

All of half an hour past before that control buckled. 

Lachlan decided to take the maps with him back to his own study, so that he could look over them there.  He argued that he would be more comfortable in his own rooms, and that this was the only- or at least the fundamental- reason for returning to them.  He rolled up the maps and tucked them under his arm, locked up the library and then made his way back his chambers.

Muira was waiting for him this time.  She was sitting in front of the fire with a book in her hands, although she didn
’
t appear to be reading it.  The flowers that he had left to wilt had been arranged in a little clay vase and looked only a little worse for wear.  Had that been due to Muira or Liane?  Lachlan didn
’
t know, nor did he ask.

He nodded in Muira
’
s direction.  A flood of warmth seized his heart at the wide smile that broke across his wife
’
s face when she saw him enter the room.  However, Lachlan didn
’
t let himself return the grin.  He was still annoyed, although he knew it was petty.

“
Lachlan?
”
Muira rose to her feet. 

She frowned anxiously and followed him into his little study.  He was going to lay the maps out on the desk, but chose instead to put them away in a little secure cabinet he owned.

“
Is something wrong?
”
Muira asked hesitantly.

Was something wrong? 
It
felt
as though there was something wrong, but Lachlan couldn
’
t explain what- or at least he could try, but he would probably only end up sounding ridiculous.

“
No,
”
he sighed. 
“
No- I
’
ve just a long day.
”
  Muira nodded her head in quick agreement, looking relieved by his response. 
“
And you?
”
he murmured, ushering Muira out of the study and back into the main chamber of their rooms. 
“
I hear you
’
ve been out and about?
”

“
It was Bridghe
’
s idea,
”
Muira confessed.  She looked uneasy, Lachlan couldn
’
t decide if that made him feel better or worse. 
“
She wanted me to meet your other sisters.
”

“
And did you?
”
he murmured, shutting the door to the study.

“
I met Eithne,
”
Muira nodded. 
“
Sorcha stayed at the castle to look after her son.
”

“
He
’
s sick?
”
Lachlan frowned, obviously concerned about his nephew.  Muira gave his arm a reassuring squeeze.

“
Not very, it
’
s just a cold, Bridghe said,
”
she assured him gently.  Lachlan looked down into her upturned eyes and felt himself falling.  His gaze fell to her lips, and he felt a heavy aching weight settle in his gut.

“
So, you saw Eithne?
”
he asked, his voice slowly becoming gentler. 
“
What did you think of her?
”

“
She
’
s-
”
Muira began, but she immediately seemed to run into difficulty.

“
She
’
s?
”
Lachlan sighed and prompted. 

He sat down by the fire, in the spot where he
’
d first seen Muira.  His wife followed and was rewarded for her actions by being instantly pulled down onto her husband
’
s lap.  She looked surprised, but pleased, to be there- if Lachlan was honest, he was a little surprised to find her there himself.  He was sure he hadn
’
t thought about tugging her down, he
’
d just done it.

“
She reminds me of you mother,
”
Muira said, very carefully.

Lachlan winced. 
“
She was that bad?
”
he growled.  He hadn
’
t thought that Eithne would take instantly to Muira, but he hadn
’
t expected her to be anything like their mother!

“
Oh no!  I didn
’
t mean-
”
Muira began diplomatically, because it was clear to Lachlan that she
did
mean what she
’
d said.

“
I
’
m sorry you have to put up with my vile family,
”
he breathed, laying a hand along her cheek and tilting her face towards him.

“
I wouldn
’
t say-
”
she started, but wasn
’
t permitted to finish. 

Lachlan moved to smother the words under his mouth, unable to resist the temptation of kissing her any longer.  Muira squealed in surprise, parting her lips just wide enough to permit him access, and so without any further invitation Lachlan
’
s tongue surged between her teeth.  He feasted on her as if it had been days, and not merely hours, that they had been parted.

I missed you
…
the words rolled over and over inside his head, but Lachlan refused to let them fly. 
“
I want you,
”
he puffed instead, sitting back in the chair and encouraging Muira to straddle him.