A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (59 page)

“
We
’
re going?
”
she asked quietly, when Lachlan didn
’
t say anything.  He had simply wandered by to his horse and begun to tighten the girth of the animal
’
s saddle. 
Not being terribly mindful of his injured hand either
, Muira noticed anxiously.

“
Aye, the rain
’
s letting up a bit.  We
’
ll have to try and make it back to Eilean Donan between the worst of the showers,
”
he told her gently. 

Muira nodded and asked if there was anything that she could do to help.  Lachlan shot her a curious glance, but he shook his head.  Muira watched as he reached for his crumpled shirt and tugged it back on over his head, before then glancing back at her.

“
You
’
ll need a hand getting back up into the saddle, I expect?
”
Lachlan asked softly. 

Muira made to tell him that she could manage, that she could use a box, but her husband was already striding purposefully towards her
…
and perhaps a guilty part of Muira wanted to feel his hands on her body, and so perhaps that was why she didn
’
t say anything to object when Lachlan swept her easily up off the floor.

He took up his position leading his gelding again, instead of jumping up behind Muira.  She couldn
’
t decide what to make of that- whether Lachlan was doing it out of respect for her, or because he couldn
’
t stand to be that close to
…
a Cameron whore.  The latter didn
’
t make sense given that he
’
d purposefully moved next to her in the barn though
…
  Muira
’
s head hurt from trying to sort everything out in her mind.

“
Will Laird MacRae be very angry with you for being away from the castle for such a long time?
”
Muira asked sadly.  She didn
’
t want to cause more problems!  But she was certain Lachlan started
…
as if that hadn
’
t even occurred to him
…
as if he hadn
’
t thought about such practicalities?

“
If he is then I
’
m sure it
’
s nothing less than I deserve,
”
Lachlan breathed at length.

“
What do you mean?
”
Muira sniffed miserably.  She seemed to feel worse as they drew nearer to the castle.

“
Muira, what I did to you was utterly despicable,
”
Lachlan said difficultly, bowing his head. 
“
I
’
ll take any punishment that
’
s dealt out to me.
”

“
But- but it wasn
’
t your fault that I ran away,
”
Muira blurted.  Despite everything, she couldn
’
t stand the thought of the Laird punishing Lachlan! 

Lachlan cast a confused glance in her direction. 
“
Of course it was my fault,
”
he growled, his voice saturated with self-loathing, and that was the last thing he said until they had made it all the way back to the castle.

..ooOOoo..

Lachlan managed to get Muria back into the castle and up to their chambers without too many people seeing them and sending them questioning glances.  He was relieved not to have met his mother or sisters at any rate, although he suspected that word would have already reached their ears that he and his wife had been missing for most of the day.  No doubt the grapevine of castle gossip would see to it that his family heard that they were back before too long as well.

“
Let me call for Liane to fix a bath for you,
”
Lachlan said to Muira once he had shut the bedroom door behind them.  His wife twisted and looked back at him.

“
Why?
”

The simple little question made him wince. 
Would she make him say it? 
She couldn
’
t have bathed since he
’
d taken the night before (not unless the shower in the rain counted).  Didn
’
t she want to wash away the- the
taint
he
’
d left on her body?  The soreness that had to still linger?

“
I- thought you might like one,
”
he muttered cowardly, unable to hold her gaze as he said it.  There were a few agonising moments of silence, and then Muira spoke softly.

“
I would, thank you.
”

Lachlan almost sagged in relief.  He rang the bell for the maid, and then went about seeing to changing his own damp clothes.

“
Are you going to go and see Laird MacRae?
”
Muira asked quietly.  Lachlan tugged his shirt off over his head once again, and then nodded. 
“
Do you- do you think I should go with you?
”
Muira asked hesitantly.

Lachlan tried not to appear as though the question had caught him by surprise. 
Why did she want to go? 
To hear what excuse he would give for their absence, or to tell Graem her own version of events?  Lachlan wouldn
’
t stop her from doing either.  He had meant what he
’
d said earlier, he was prepared to face the consequences of his actions.

“
Do you want to come with me, lass?
”
he asked calmly, answering her question with one of his own, straightening his shirt and then disappearing out of sigh for a moment as he found a clean kilt to wear in front of the Laird.  When he reappeared Muira was looking pensive.

“
No, I- I think I will stay here,
”
she said at length.  Lachlan nodded his head and then made to move towards the door, he hesitated before he
’
d walked two paces however.

“
You will stay here, won
’
t you, Muria?
”
he frowned anxiously. 
“
I won
’
t- I won
’
t keep you a prisoner here if you want to leave Eilean Donan with your brothers when they come.
”
  He though it would be so much easier to say
‘
leave Eilean Donan
’
than
‘
leave me
’
but the words cut through Lachlan
’
s heart regardless. 
“
But no more running away on your own again?  Promise me?
”
he demanded firmly.

The colour leeched from Muira
’
s face.  Lachlan couldn
’
t quite understand why. 
“
I won
’
t run away again,
”
she whispered. 
“
I promise, Lachlan.  I
’
ll stay until you send me away,
”
she nodded quietly.

Lachlan frowned. 
“
I didn
’
t-
”
but he was interrupted by a timid knock at the door. 
“
Liane,
”
he grumbled, admitting the maid and giving her instructions to see that her mistress was provided with a nice hot bath.

Muira sat on the edge of the bed as she waited for the water to be fetched. 
“
You
’
d better go then,
”
she murmured, staring blankly at the floor.

“
Aye,
”
Lachlan almost groaned the word. 
“
I suppose I better had.
”

He slunk out of the room without saying another word, only prayed that Muira would do as she had promised and stay put until he got back. 

Lachlan hadn
’
t a clue what he was going to say to Graem.  He hoped that a sincere,
vague
, apology would be enough to pacify the old man, but he wasn
’
t counting on it.  Laird MacRae might be an elder, sickly man, but his mind was as keen as ever.

Lachlan was admitted to see the Laird almost immediately, and found Graem sitting in his usual seat by the fire, with a book and magnifying glass resting on his lap.

“
Ah Lachlan, you
’
ve returned to us I see?
”
Graem coughed, looking up at his tanist with eyes that were still bright and alive, although set in an aged, decaying face.