A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (105 page)

“
Safer?
”
Lachlan puzzled.

“
Muira
’
s liable to do you some damage if you get within range,
”
Sorcha said bluntly.  She watched her brother squirm uncomfortably with a smile of satisfaction. 
“
Don
’
t worry, it
’
ll only last until she hold the wee bairn in her arms,
”
she added soothingly, giving him a sisterly pat on the back. 
“
You, stay here,
”
she commanded,
“
I
’
m going to see if they need any help in there.
”

Lachlan nodded glumly and watched his sister walk across the room. 
“
Sorcha, you will look after her?
”
he blurted.  She turned, smiled and nodded, and then disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Lachlan sitting alone.

He
hated
it.  The waiting, the not knowing, with every scream that he heard through the closed door Lachlan held his breath- caught in a paradox of hope and fear.  So man things might go wrong, and yet, if everything went right, then couldn
’
t imagine ever feeling happier.

It was nearly five hours after Sorcha had placed Lachlan in his chair when it happened.  He heard Muira scream again, this time for longer and louder than she had done before, and then, a second or two later, Lachlan heard the most beautiful sound that he
’
d ever imagined
–
a baby crying.

He jumped up immediately, and then, permission or not, marched towards his bedroom door.  It swung open before he reached it, however, Bridghe was standing in the doorway, looking exhausted and dishevelled, but beaming with joy.  The smile on his sister
’
s face evaporated any trace of fear that had remained with Lachlan; they had to be all right, both of them, Muira and the baby.  Bridghe wouldn
’
t be beaming in such a manner if anything had gone wrong.

“
You can come in now,
”
she grinned, standing on her tiptoes to pop a sisterly kiss on his cheek. 
“
Come and meet your daughter,
”
she said, practically bouncing with excitement.  She caught hold of his hands and tugged him inside the bedroom.

Lachlan
’
s breath caught in his throat as he was dragged inside the chamber.  His eyes immediately fell on Muira.  His wife was lying in the centre of their bed, her hair was damp and hanging in red curls around her face, her skin was flushed and she looked exhausted, but she had never seemed more beautiful to her husband.  He opened his mouth to tell her as much, but then his eyes fell on the little bundle that she had cradled in her arms, and he couldn
’
t seem to find his voice.

A daughter?  Wasn
’
t that what Bridghe had said?  Lachlan smiled, positively beaming, as he walked over to see mother and daughter, forcing himself not to run, not to sweep the pair into his arms.  He said down beside Muira and wrapped an arm carefully around her shoulders, gazing down into his daughter
’
s perfect, scrunched up little face as he tried to find the words to express just how ecstatically happy he was feeling.

“
Well, I think we can leave these two in peace now, don
’
t you?
”
Bridghe said, shooing her sister, the midwife, and a couple of maids out of the bedroom, before leaving herself, after shooting her brother a congratulatory smile.

“
She
’
s so tiny,
”
Lachlan breathed reverently, reaching out a finger to stroke his daughter
’
s cheek. 
“
So perfect,
”
he whispered, looking up and turning to his wife, surprised and horrified to find that there were tears swimming in her eyes- and not tears of joy, but real, unhappy tears. 
“
Muira?
”
he choked.

“
I
’
m so sorry!
”
she blurted.

“
What in God
’
s name for?
”
Lachlan demanded.

“
Giving you a daughter and not a son,
”
she sniffed miserably. 

Lachlan stared at her incredulously for a moment. 
“
I never said that I wanted a son more than a daughter,
”
he argued adamantly, staring down lovingly at the miraculously little girl that was lying sleepily in his wife
’
s arms.

“
But all men-
”

“
Muira,
”
Lachlan said, gently but firmly, he placed his fingers under her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. 
“
Listen to me very carefully,
”
he continued, waiting for her to nod before continuing. 
“
You have just given me the most precious gift in the whole world.  I would never love a son any more than a daughter, and you have to realise that, because I never, ever want you to doubt it again.  I think she
’
s perfect, just like her mother,
”
he breathed huskily.

..ooOOoo..

It was a week since little Maisie MacRae had entered the world, and Muira was still pinching herself in wondrous disbelief.  It was all so incredible.  She was lying in bed at present, watching her husband and daughter.  Lachlan was cradling the baby in his arms, as he walked up and down the length of the room, gently trying to soothe Maisie to sleep.

Muira
’
s lips curved into a smile.  She hadn
’
t dared hope that Lachlan would take to their daughter so completely.  However, it was clear, even now with Maisie so young, that father and daughter shared a special bond.  Muira might have felt a twinge of jealousy, if her husband hadn
’
t utterly doting on her over the past week too.

She was sure that Lachlan was neglecting some of his duties as Laird to pop back and see his new family at every given opportunity.  Happily, no one seemed to mind however. Maisie
’
s birth had been celebrated with great joy throughout the castle and the whole of MacRae
’
s lands. 

It was a real turning point, Lachlan had told her.  Everyone was looking on it as a fresh start after the terrible events that had happened earlier that year
…

“
You
’
re looking very serious.
”

Lachlan
’
s voice started Muira out of her musings. 
“
But happy,
”
she assured him with a warm smile. 
“
Is she asleep?
”
she asked softly, craning her neck to peek at the impossibly tiny bundle that was curled up against Lachlan
’
s bare chest.  It was such a delightful contrast - all that raw power, restrained and protecting, and so gently enfolding their helpless little girl.

Lachlan nodded his head, but was so clearly reluctant to actually put the bairn down that Muira
’
s heat melted.

“
She won
’
t disappear if you lay her in her crib,
”
Muira giggled. 

Lachlan looked sheepish, but obeyed the unsubtle hint.  He placed Maisie in her cot by her mother, and then strolled around to the other side of the bed, stripping off his kilt, and then sitting down on the mattress to take off his boots. 

Muira stole a glance at her husband
’
s naked profile, and then swiftly scolded herself for adding to her torment.  Quickly she searched for something else to think about- there was of course only one thing that came to mind.

“
You
’
re so good with her, Lachlan.
”

He chuckled and slid between the blankets. 
“
I had an awful lot of practice with my sisters
’
kids.
”
 

Which was perfectly true, Muira had to admit, Lachlan was better versed in the strange little quirks of all things infantile than she had been before Maisie entered their lives.  To her private chagrin, he still was
…
Muira had to wonder if there was
anything
that her husband didn
’
t know about or was bad at. 

Muira watched him yawn, and then settle down to sleep
…
leaving a gap between them wide enough to fit another body in.  She knew why he did it
…
but she also craved the human contact of her husband too much to oblige him tonight.  Muira wriggled closer, snuggling against Lachlan
’
s side.  She felt his body tense immediately, but he didn
’
t push her away.

“
Tease,
”
he growled, but clasped her to his side.