A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (36 page)

“
Madness?
”
Mrs MacRae snarled helpfully.

Muira chewed her bottom lip hesitantly, but thought it better not to contradict her mother-in-law. 
“
Madness?  Well, yes, if you like,
”
she said, as lightly as she could manage. 
“
But you see, it was weighing so heavily on my heart that I found that I simply had to confess my feelings to your son.
”

Mrs MacRae hrmphed. 
“
Hardly the actions of a modest young girl,
”
she said coldly. 
“
However, not wholly reprehensible,
”
she was forced to admit, albeit very grudgingly. 

Muira couldn
’
t say
what
forced her to admit it, but she was very grateful all the same.  Perhaps it was just motherly pride, and her belief in the fact that her son
was
the sort of man young ladies instantly fell in love with
…

Muira paused for a moment over this thought. 
How many other ladies had fallen in love with Lachlan? 
She wondered.  And then she wondered at her own using of the wording
‘
others
’
and decided that the hall was much too warm
…

“
Well, perhaps not, if you think not, Mrs MacRae,
”
Muira conceded sweetly, trying to get her thoughts back onto track.  She hadn
’
t actually dared to look at her husband to see what he was making of her little tale. 
“
However, my timing was terribly poor.
”

“
How so?
”
Mrs MacRae
’
s eyes began to narrow again.

“
This- madness- came over me most strongly as I lay alone in my chamber one night,
”
she murmured, staring down at her hands to give her a respite from her mother-in-law
’
s fierce stare. 
“
I couldn
’
t shake it.  So, I am ashamed to say, I went to seek out your son.
”

“
In the middle of the night?
”
Mrs MacRae asked for cold clarification.  Muira nodded her head. 
“
You were, of course, caught?
”
she hissed waspishly.  Again Muira nodded.  There was beat of silence, and then Mrs MacRae erupted with:
“
Lachlan
!  How could you be so stupid?
”

Muira flinched, and then quickly opened her mouth to try and collect the blame that she had been trying to gather for herself.  However, Lachlan seemed finally to have found his voice.

“
It seemed quite prudent to me, mother, to marry Muira once we had been caught in such a compromising position,
”
Lachlan said, as calmly as if he had been acquainted with the story all along, although Muira couldn
’
t understand her little pang at his choosing to describe the arrangement as
‘
prudent
’
.

“
How so?
”
Mrs MacRae demanded hotly.

“
To avoid any further bad feeling between the Cameron clan and our own clan, and to obtain a perfectly suitable, pleasing wife for myself,
”
he said easily, as if he was discussing nothing of greater importance than the weather.

Suitable, pleasing
…
the meek words repeated themselves hollowly in Muira heart until she was force to raise her hand to her chest in some agitation.  She was quite certain that Mrs MacRae had a few things to say about how suitable and pleasing her new daughter-in-law was, however, Lachlan had noticed his wife
’
s distress and stood up, making their hurried excuses.

“
Lachlan-!
”
Mrs MacRae continued, but by this time her son and gently coaxed Muira onto her feet and was shepherding her out of the hall.  He called an apology back to his mother, but was rather too worried about his wife to pay the older woman much mind.

“
Are you all right, Muria?
”
he demanded, the second that they were out in the corridor and afforded some privacy.  He pressed the back of one of his hands to her forehead anxiously, testing for a nonexistent fever.

“
Lachlan I
’
m fine-
”
Muira said sharply, pushing his hand away, a little embarrassed and annoyed by the fuss
…
and still more than a little hurt by what he had said to his mother if she was honest with herself.

“
You weren
’
t fine just a moment ago,
”
Lachlan frowned, still studying her intently. 
“
I thought you were going to faint!
”

“
I don
’
t faint,
”
Muira sniffed. 
At least, not without very good cause
…
was being told that you were a suitable, pleasing wife good enough cause to faint
…
? 
“
I
’
m sure it was just a little- indigestion,
”
she muttered, sighing and then beginning to walk along the corridor, not really knowing where she was going.

“
Except you didn
’
t touch your food,
”
Lachlan argued, still frowning. 
“
I
’
ll ring for something for you when we get back to our room.
”
 

Our room?
  Muira marvelled at how easily that tripped off her husband
’
s tongue.  It eased her hurt a little.  Besides, she had no right to feel hurt!  Lachlan had made her no promises, made no grand affirmations of love or affection
…
she was in danger of forgetting the trouble and the lies that her marriage was based upon, Muira decided sadly.  She was almost ready to belief in the story that she
’
d made up for her mother-in-law!

“
-Muira?
”

“
Hmm?
”
  She hadn
’
t heard a word that Lachlan had said. 
“
I
’
m sorry, what did you say?
”
  He looked at her anxiously, and asked for a second time what she would like him to ring for. 
“
Nothing,
”
Muira sighed. 
“
I
’
m not hungry.
”

“
Damn it, woman!  I
’
m not going to let you starve yourself to death!
”
Lachlan snapped, losing patience with her morose mood.

“
Why not?
”
she wailed, finally breaking as they reached the door to Lachlan
’
s room. 
“
You
’
d be better off if I
did
starve myself to death!
”
she cried, rushing into the room and throwing herself down onto the bed, where she started to sob.

The door was shut and then softly locked.  The smooth chink of the mechanism was followed by the tread of heavy footsteps walking over to the bed.  Muira tensed when she felt the mattress give, and then tensed further when a warm hand was laid against her back.

“
Now then, lass,
”
Lachlan breathed softly, running his fingers in soothing circles up and down his wife
’
s spine. 
“
What
’
s this all about?
”
 

Muira didn
’
t answer.  She just cried harder.  Lachlan scooped her up from off the mattress and bundled her into his arms, holding her tightly and rocking her gently.  He tried to shush her, but to no avail.

“
My poor wee girl,
”
he murmured, pressing his lips against the top of her head. 
“
You
’
re tired and hungry and worn out,
”
he paused, and sighed,
“
aye, and homesick too, no doubt.
”
  He tilted her head back so that he could look in her eyes, and wiped her tears away with his thumb. 
“
What a brute of a husband you have,
”
he frowned at himself.  He dabbed a kiss against her lips. 
“
What can I do to make it better?
”