A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (40 page)

His sister sighed. 
“
To be honest, I did come to ask why you
’
d done it, however,
”
she glanced at the woman lying still in the bed. 
“
That can wait until she
’
s better.  She has a name?
”

“
Muira,
”
Lachlan supplied.  He couldn
’
t believe that Bridghe hadn
’
t heard it bandied around the castle by now, but he thought it very kind of her to ask.

“
Aye, that
’
s a bonnie name,
”
Bridghe nodded with a smile then turned into a full grin.  She looked from her brother to his wife, who still retaining a pale shadow of her beauty even in sickness. 
“
You
’
ll have the bonniest wee bairns you know!
”
she announced happily, for which Lachlan really did have a response.

He wasn
’
t actually sure what Bridghe was doing as she bustled around, but the flurry of activity she created made Lachlan feel somehow better; at least it felt like they were doing
something
to help Muira.

..ooOOoo..

“
You should go and see Laird MacRae.
”

Lachlan rolled his eyes.  Bridghe had been harping on at him to go and see Graem for hours.  She wanted him to go and explain what had happened.  He didn
’
t want to leave his wife
’
s sickbed.

“
You
’
re still the tanist you know, Lachlan,
”
Bridghe sighed wearily. 
“
You have responsibilities.
”

“
Muira is my responsibility,
”
Lachlan growled, in a tone of voice that did not brook opposition.  Bridghe, however, was his sister, his older sister at that, and not one to be intimidated into biting her tongue just because Lachlan had snarled a few words at her.

“
Lachlan, if she wakes and you
’
re not here I
’
ll send Liane to fetch you immediately,
”
Bridghe pleaded.

Lachlan looked up at his sister from where he was sitting.  He didn
’
t know how to explain, without soundly like an idiot at any rate, how desperately he didn
’
t want to leave Muira
’
s side, not even for a second.  What if she called for him?  What if she woke up and he wasn
’
t there?  She
’
d think that he
’
d abandoned her- that he hadn
’
t cared enough to stay!  Something of his feelings must have shown themselves on his face however, because Bridghe nodded reluctantly.

“
Oh- all right,
”
she agreed. 
“
But at least write Laird MacRae a note?  I can take it to him myself and explain what
’
s happened,
”
Bridghe said, offering a compromise, which Lachlan quickly agreed to.

He wrote Graem a quick apologetic note, begging his understanding, and promising to assume his full mantel of responsibilities just as soon as he was able.

“
Not that it will matter,
”
he grumbled, sealing the letter with a blob of wax,
“
if I
’
m stripped of the position.
”

“
Don
’
t say that, Lachlan,
”
Bridghe said, sharply and swiftly. 
“
You
’
re the best tanist we could possibly have, everyone with half a brain knows that!
”
she continued fervently.

“
Ah, but you have to say that,
”
Lachlan chuckled slightly, smiling for the first time in what felt like days, as he handed the letter over to his sister and watched her out of the room.

“
Lachlan!
”

Lachlan started, and jumped off his chair.  The smile slid from his face as he leant over the mattress.  Muira was thrashing around slightly, and gasping his name.

“
Muira?  Muira!
”
he called. 
“
Can you hear me, lass?
”
  He gently laid his hands on her shoulders, to keep her from jerking around and hurting herself.

“
Lachlan?
”
she breathed, but still in her feverish voice, still without actually realising that he was there, holding her.

“
It
’
s all right, Muira,
”
Lachlan murmured softly, conflicting feelings chasing each other through his heart.  He was devastated but the fact that she was still unaware of him, and yet he couldn
’
t contain a guilty thrill of pleasure that she
’
d finally started to call for him. 
“
I
’
m here, lass,
”
he whispered, brushing Muira
’
s hair away from her burning skin.

Perhaps it was only coincidence, or his own wishful thinking, but Lachlan was sure that Muira relaxed a little as he gently stroked the backs of his fingers over her cheek.  He then moved his hand to once again catch hold of her own, when she had stilled and slipped back into peacefully unconsciousness.

..ooOOoo..

Muira couldn
’
t remember the last time that she had felt so terribly ill!  Every movement she made caused her whole body to ache.  She took shallow little breaths to limit the moving of her chest, and it took an age for her to work up the stamina to just open her eyes.

The first thing-
person
she saw was Lachlan.  Muira
’
s heart skipped a beat.  It gave a little joyous trip and then seemed to pulse with renewed vigour.  Had he been sitting with her since- since-?  Muira wasn
’
t certain how long she had been lying in bed, she realised suddenly, but Lachlan certainly looked like he
’
d been sat with her for a good long while.

She licked her dry lips, though it did little good as her mouth was also parched.  She waited a few moments before disturbing her husband however; he seemed to be dozing, and she wanted to study him undisturbed for a second.  He looked exhausted and his clothes were rather rumpled, his skin looked pale and there were dark circles under his eyes.

Muira had thought she
’
d heard- but no, it had to be a dream.  She had
dreamt
that Lachlan was with her, saying the most wonderful things, promising never to leave her, promising her that everything would be all right
…
telling her that he needed her, that he couldn
’
t live without her
…

Well, Lachlan
was
here with her, but that didn
’
t mean he had said all or any of the things that Muira believed she
’
d heard.

“
Lachlan?
”
she croaked. 

It was the tiniest, rasping little noise, barely louder than a mouse
’
s squeak, but Lachlan
’
s eyes snapped open instantly, panicked at first, but then they fell on Muira
’
s face and his gaze locked with hers
…
and Muira couldn
’
t quite decipher the expression in his grey-blue eyes.  There was a great swell of relief, but something else, some emotion that she couldn
’
t quite put her finger on.

“
Oh, thank God,
”
Lachlan groaned, rising out of his chair so that he could shuffle closer to the bed. 
“
Muira, can you hear me now, lass?  How are you feeling?
”
he breathed. 

Muira tried to answer, but her throat was too dry.  Lachlan quickly got her a glass of water from the jug Liane had left nearby, and helped her to drink a few sips.  He sagged in relief when he felt his wife
’
s skin and found that her fever had broken.

“
You gave us quite a scare, missy,
”
he sighed setting the glass aside when Muira had drank enough.

“
Us?
”
she croaked, trying to sit up by ultimately failing. 

Muira slumped back against her pillows where she was resolved to stay.  However, seeing that she
’
d been trying to prop herself up, Lachlan reached for her and gently helped her into a more comfortable position.  She marvelled once again that a man so large and powerful could be so exquisitely gentle.