A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (91 page)

“
Lachlan MacRae!
”
Muira giggled. 
“
Were you eavesdropping?
”
  She didn
’
t think that she
’
d ever watched her husband squirm before.

“
I was ten years old!
”

“
And you understood what was being said?
”
Muira looked shocked, and then she laughed again. 
“
You did start your- um- education in such matters early, didn
’
t you?
”
she teased. 

“
I was trapped under a desk at the time,
”
he grumbled, looking decidedly put out.

“
Dare I ask why-?
”

“
No!  You dare not,
”
Lachlan interrupted sharply. 
“
Suffice to say it was acutely embarrassing for an impressionable ten year old to hear the Laird and his wife professing their love for one another,
”
he grunted.

Muira smiled and kissed his cheek. 
“
I can
’
t imagine you as impressionable,
”
she said innocently.

Lachlan turned on her, but there was a knock at the door and the maid arrived with a tray of steaming food.  She served the meal up quickly and then left the couple alone again.  At the sight of the meal the light-hearted fa
ç
ade dropped away immediately.

“
You- you do think it
’
s safe to eat, don
’
t you?
”
Muira asked with a nervous little laugh that rang hollowly around the room.

Lachlan stared suspiciously at the food. 
“
Well,
”
he sighed,
“
it
’
s eat this or starve.
”
 

So he sat down and began to eat.  After a moment
’
s hesitation, Muira followed suit.  She took a few small bites, and then discovered that her hunger was so great that she could barely keep to small ladylike mouthfuls.

“
Would you like the rest of mine too?
”
Lachlan grinned wryly, which made Muira blush and lower her fork to her plate.  Her husband
’
s smile turned tender. 
“
You are eating for two now,
”
he purred softly.

Muira
’
s blushed deepened, but she gave a deep contented sigh when Lachlan reached for her hand, covering it with his own. 
“
You were amazing today,
”
he murmured. 
“
I was so proud of you,
”
he declared.

“
Of me?
”
Muira gasped.  She really didn
’
t think that it was possibly for her cheeks to glow any hotter. 
“
Why, whatever for?
”

Lachlan smiled, and drew her knuckles against his lips, kissing each one in turn. 
“
For being so caring, for doing everything you could to help, for working yourself to exhaustion,
”
he said gently. 
“
Everyone saw that,
”
he smiled proudly.

“
But that
’
s not why-
”

“
I know,
”
Lachlan
’
s grin widened. 
“
That
’
s what makes you so amazing.
”

“
Oh,
”
Muria said, because she couldn
’
t think of what else to say. 
“
Well, you were quite amazing yourself Mr MacRae,
”
she told him warming, brushing her fingers over his cheek, sadly tracing the cut he bore. 
“
How you saved Ewan
…”
she breathed, her voice a little shaky. 
“
I
’
ll never be able to thank you enough for that.
”

“
You
’
ll think of something, I
’
m sure,
”
Lachlan grinned cheekily. 
“
Besides, it wasn
’
t solely down to me, your brother is a very fortunate man.
”

Muira nodded her head and yawned. 
“
I don
’
t disagree.
”
  She frowned sadly. 
“
It
’
s a shame that there aren
’
t more fortunate men and women.  How- how many do you think we
’
ll lose?
”
she asked unhappily.

Lachlan flinched, as if in physical pain. 
“
I couldn
’
t say,
”
he muttered.  But Muira was sure that what he meant was that he didn
’
t
want
to say.

“
The clan will be all right though,
”
Muira assured him suddenly.  Lachlan cocked a surprised eyebrow at his wife. 
“
Well, they have you to lead them after all,
”
Muira explained, her cheeks reddening again. 

Lachlan smiled.  His eyes crinkled at the corners. 
“
Have I told you how much I love you?
”

“
Not recently,
”
Muira bandied back breathlessly.

“
I love you more than anything else in this world, Muira MacRae,
”
he whispered ardently tugging her onto her feet and into his arms.  It had been one of the worse days of his life, but here he was at the end of it, still able to smile, because he still had his wife. 
“
Now, come to bed,
”
he commanded, stripping out of his clothes.

They were both too exhausted to make love that evening, but they lay in each other
’
s arms, Muira
’
s body spooned into Lachlan
’
s, as her husband
’
s arms wound themselves protectively around her body.

“
Lachlan?
”
she whispered, after it had been silent for quite some time. 
Mmm
, came her husband
’
s drowsy reply.  There was something praying on Muira
’
s mind, it had been bothering her all day, but she had managed to busy herself and ignore it.  Now, in the silence of the night, there was nothing to distract her. 
“
Tavish,
”
she shivered as she spoke the name. 
“
He
’
ll be put to death won
’
t he?
”
 

She felt Lachlan tense, and wished that she hadn
’
t spoke
his
name here, in their marital bed, but she held her breath as she waited for his answer nonetheless.

“
Aye lass, he
’
ll be executed.  There
’
s no other way.
”

Muira shuddered.  She knew that what Lachlan said was the truth.  Tavish had to pay for what he had done.  Innocent people, innocent
children
had died because of him, and yet Muira still shuddered at the thought of him being put to death.

“
How will it happen?
”
she whispered.  Lachlan held her closer.

“
We don
’
t have to think about this now,
”
he murmured, which meant that he didn
’
t want to think about it now, but Muira couldn
’
t seem to stop from thinking about it.  She could have married Tavish.  She had chosen him for a husband once, and if she had married him then maybe none of this would have happened
…
 
“
Go to sleep, love,
”
Lachlan breathed, feeling the tension in her body. 
“
You have to rest.
”