Free A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) by Stephanie Sterling Page B

dressing.
     
    “ Are you going to join me for breakfast? ” he asked, looking hungrily over the array of food that had been served.
     
    Could men always be distracted by their stomachs , Muira wonder with a little frown.  Her brothers were just the same.  She was still aching to know Lachlan ’ s answer to her question.  If she hadn ’ t ruined his life what had she done?  But she didn ’ t see that revisiting that subject was going to be terribly easy now.
     
    “ Well, aren ’ t you hungry? ” Lachlan pressed when he got no response from the bed, merrily helping himself to a bowl of steaming porridge.
     
    Muira found herself smiling at him, despite everything.  She wasn ’ t sure why, perhaps simply because it made her happy to see him happy?  Happier , Muira amended silently.  There were still shadows in his eyes.
     
    She slipped out of bed and made a quick dash for her dressing gown, wrapping it tightly around her waist before joining Lachlan at the table.  She helped herself to a small breakfast; unlike her husband, Muira really couldn ’ t say that she was overly hungry.
     
    “ How long do you suppose it will take to get to Eilean Donan? ” she asked quietly, nibbling at her food.  She was still having trouble getting used to the idea that she was leaving her home, her friends, her family for new places and people.
     
    “ Two, maybe three days, ” Lachlan informed her.  “ It depends if there are any problems on the roads. ”
     
    “ What kind of problems? ” Muira asked quickly, and a tad fearfully. 
     
    Lachlan shot her a reassuring smile.  “ Trees coming down mainly, and there are some stretches of road that flood, ” he paused and glanced out of the window at the clear sky.  “ We should be fine though.  It ’ s still too early in the year for the weather to turn really nasty. ”
     
    Muira nodded her head and took Lachlan ’ s word for that- her own experience of such things was minimal.
     
    “ I meant what I said early you know, ” Lachlan said gently, catching his wife by surprise.  “ We don ’ t have to leave today if you really don ’ t want to. ”
     
    “ I- I want to, ” Muira replied, in what she hoped was a certain tone of voice.  “ Best to get it over with, ” she murmured to herself.  Lachlan didn ’ t hear her.
     
    “ Well, I should go down to the stables and see what ’ s going on then, ” he said, moving towards the door.  “ You ’ ll be all right here on your own? ”
     
    “ Fine. ”   Muira nodded, intrigued as to why he ’ d suddenly asked.  He had left her alone for hours the day before and not worried.  What could have possibly changed over night? 
     
    “ Good, ” Lachlan said.  “ I won ’ t be long.  You should probably start getting ready.  If we ’ re going to make it all the way to The Three Oaks before nightfall we ’ ll have to leave quite soon. ”
     
    Muira nodded again, and then stared down at her lap as she listened to her husband leave the room.  She hadn ’ t been alone for more than a couple of minutes when there was a light knock on the door.  For a second Muria felt a fluttering of panic, but then reasoned that Tavish wouldn ’ t knock on her door if he were able to descend.
     
    “ Come in? ” she called.  Muira watched the door, as it swung open, and then smiled a little when Cait stepped into the room.
     
    “ I made sure that I waited until he was gone, ” Cait said with a small smile of her own.
     
    “ Who? ” Muira blurted dumbly.
     
    Cait raised an eyebrow.  “ Your husband of course.  Bessie told me what she saw when she brought your breakfast up, ” she teased.  “ I was really worried about you, but- ” she giggled, and her eyes were shining with curiosity.  “ Was it amazing? ” she asked, feigning a swoon as she sank down onto one of the fireside chairs.
     
    Muira shifted uncomfortably, a blush creeping into her cheeks.  “ I don ’ t know that I ’ d-