A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (66 page)

“
Well, if it isn
’
t Sir Lachlan, rescuer of damsels in distress,
”
Tavish hissed, but only once he was a safe distance away.  Lachlan took a step forward, and Tavish took two back.

“
You
’
re a dead man, MacEantach,
”
Lachlan spat. 
“
Every breath you take offends me.
”

“
You can
’
t lay a finger on me,
”
Tavish sneered confidently. 
“
Can you imagine what would happen if you did?  Everything your dear old Laird has work so hard for, ruined in a moment?
”
  He glanced at Muira. 
“
Ruined to protect some-
”

“
Be very careful that your next words aren
’
t your last,
”
Lachlan warned, absolutely deadly serious.

Tavish snorted. 
“
You
’
d kill for
her
?
”
he jeered, nodding his head towards Muira.  She was leaning against the wall, using it to keep her on her feet.  She was convinced that she was only a moment or two away from a fainting fit.

“
I
’
d kill for her,
”
Lachlan answered calmly, still deadly.  He took another few paces forwards, finally placing himself between his wife and her would be attacker. 

Muria let her eyes linger on her husband.  He looked so strong, so solid- she knew the power that lay coiled in those tightly knit muscles.  She had felt it as he thrust, hard and deep, into her body...  A guilty tremor shivered through her womb.

“
But you won
’
t,
”
Tavish smirked.

“
Won
’
t I?
”

“
All of those huge black lies you told everyone back at Castle Cameron would come spilling out if you did,
”
Tavish breathed. 
“
How do you think Daddy would feel, Muria?  Knowing how his darling daughter lied to him?
”

“
You seem to forget, you
’
d be dead,
”
Lachlan explained silkily. 
“
What
’
s to stop us telling a white lie or two to explain that unpleasantness away?
”
he whispered darkly.

“
No, Lachlan,
”
Muira croaked suddenly.  She didn
’
t want to run that risk, and she didn
’
t want to turn her husband into a murderer for her
…
even if there was something wickedly thrilling about the notion.

“
Muira!
”
Lachlan growled, while Tavish glanced over the tanist
’
s shoulder, and looked sickeningly smug. 
“
Are you forgetting what this man has done to you?
”
he demanded roughly.

“
No,
”
Muira cried, shaking her head tearfully. 
“
But I- I want to,
”
she whimpered, stumbling forwards and gripping Lachlan
’
s hand. 
“
Please?
”
she begged, watching as he turned to her in surprise. 
“
I want to forget,
”
she said shakily. 
“
I want it all to go away.
”

Lachlan opened his mouth, and Muria felt that she knew what he wanted to say- that he could make it all go away.  If she gave him free reign to exact revenge, then he would make sure Tavish never again laid so much as a finger on her.  However, he didn
’
t speak, he just let the sentiments hang between them unsaid, before then turning back to face Tavish.

“
Don
’
t think for a second that this is over, MacEantach, don
’
t think for a second that
I
’
ll
forget any of this,
”
he snarled. 

Tavish grinned evilly. 
“
You seem to be under the mistaken impression that I
’
m afraid of you, MacRae,
”
he smirked.  His confidence had increased exponentially since Muira had stayed Lachlan
’
s hand. 
“
Maybe it is
you
who should be afraid of
me
?
”

Muira gasped, and felt her stomach lurch, her heart clench.  Tavish couldn
’
t- wouldn
’
t hurt Lachlan, would he?  She glanced up at her husband
’
s stony set face.  There wasn
’
t even the smallest glimmer of fear in his features, but she was suddenly
terrified
of something happening to him.  She didn
’
t know what she
’
d do if any harm should ever come to him!

“
You
’
re forgetting that you
’
re in a MacRae castle, MacEantach,
”
Lachlan spat viciously.  There was a muscle twitching in his jaw, a vein throbbing in his temple, Muira didn
’
t know how long Lachlan would be able to restrain himself if Tavish continued to provoke him.

“
A MacRae castle,
for the time being
,
”
Tavish whispered sinisterly, and then he moved and turned his back on the couple.  Banking on the fact, Muira assumed, that Lachlan would be too honourable to attack him when he was blind to a strike.

Muria clung tightly to Lachlan as she watched Tavish slink away, slightly amazed that her husband was actually letting him go. 
Was he doing that for her?  Because she
’
d asked him too
…
?
  Muira felt too sick and dizzy to dwell on the question, and when Lachlan turned to her, his eyes still blazing fiercely, it was all too much. 

She tried very hard not to do it, but in the end she couldn
’
t help but faint.

..ooOOoo..

When Muira
’
s eyes next opened she was lying in her bed with her husband leaning over her, applying a cool damp cloth to her forehead and trying to rouse her.

“
Lachlan?
”
she slurred his name as she struggled to sit up.  He shushed her gently, and tried to get her to lie still. 
“
What happened?
”
she whispered, but she was beginning to remember, and as the memories hurried back she began to sob softly.

“
Well now, why don
’
t you tell me what happened?
”
Lachlan asked, his voice was tender, but he clearly expected an answer.  Muira drew a shaky breath and tried to give one.

“
I wanted to see Ewan,
”
she confessed guiltily.

“
And you didn
’
t think I
’
d let you?
”
Lachlan frowned. 
“
That
’
s why you let me believe you
’
d come back here to our rooms?
”

“
No!
”
Muira gasped. 
“
I knew that you wouldn
’
t stop me.  I just- I just didn
’
t-
”

“
You just didn
’
t want me to know that you were going to see your brother?
”
Lachlan sighed heavily.  He ran a weary hand through his already mussed hair, and then rested his chin on his upturned palm. 

“
It wasn
’
t like that!
”
Muira sobbed.  She couldn
’
t bear the thought of making Lachlan angry or upset now, not after he
’
d saved her from Tavish
…
again
. 
“
I just-
”
but she didn
’
t know how to explain, she wasn
’
t even sure herself why she
’
d done it.  She thought it might have been because she was afraid that Lachlan would react like this- assume that she
’
d gone to Ewan to confess all their problems.