A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) by Stephanie Sterling

”
     
    “ Did it feel any different to what happened before you were married? ” Cait asked eagerly, ignoring her friend ’ s hesitance.  “ Was this time special?  Was he gentle, because I heard some of the kitchen girls talking, and they definitely mentioned blood? ”
     
    “ Blood? ” Muira repeated, her eyes widening.
     
    Cait gave her head a vigorous little nod.  “ They said it hurts it at first, but only for a moment, and they it feels- ” Cait gave another giggle, and Muira wondered if they were even talking about the same thing.  She knew what the kitchen girls could be like with their stories though.
     
    “ It didn ’ t hurt at all, ” she said, in a voice of great authority.  Cait looked a little relieved, but also a little let down, to be informed of her mistake.  “ It was … nice, ” Muira said slowly, thinking that she should portray the night in a positive light, while really she was rather confused about the whole affair, could one really fall pregnant from what she and Lachlan had done?  Something important seemed to be missing.
     
    “ Just nice? ” Cait sounded disappointed.  “ Well, maybe it ’ s something that you get better at with practice? ” she wondered brightly.  “ Anyhow, you can tell me the details while we get you dressed, ” she grinned slyly.  “ I told your maid I ’ d help you today. ”   Cait ’ s smile finally faltered.  “ I suppose it ’ s true, you really are leaving this morning? ” she asked sadly.  Muira nodded unhappily.  “ I ’ m- I ’ m sure it won ’ t be so bad, ” Cait said, trying her hardest to sound positive.
     
    “ You don ’ t think so? ” Muira asked glumly.  “ I won ’ t know anyone.  Everyone there will hate me.  I- ”
     
    “ Why would they hate you? ” Cait frowned.  Muira bit her lip, cursing herself for letting her tongue run away with her, but luckily she was saved from giving the true answer to her friend ’ s question.  “ Because you ’ re a Cameron? ” Cait sighed.  “ I wish there wasn ’ t all this hatred between the clans, ” she said, shaking her head as she went about fetching Muira ’ s undergarments and clothes.  “ Maybe, in time, your marriage might help to heal things though? ” she said thoughtfully.
     
    “ Do you think so? ” Muira wrinkled her nose doubtfully, and set about washing her face and hands with the warm water that Cait had brought for the purpose.
     
    “ Well, your children will be half-Cameron and half-MacRae, ” Cait pointed out practically.  “ They ’ ll belong to both clans. ”
     
    “ Or neither clan, ” Muira muttered, but not so that Cait could hear.  Her friend was clearly trying her hardest to stay positive.  “ I wanted to wear my blue dress for the coach ride.  It ’ s the warmest one I have, ” she sighed wearily, wanting to talk about something uncomplicated and mundane. 
     
    Muira didn ’ t really pay very much attention to what was happening as Cait helped her to dress.  She didn ’ t even glance at the reflection in the mirror while her friend brushed, plaited and fixed her hair.  She was staring instead at the heavy gold ring that now adorned the forth finger of her left hand, playing with it nervously, and then tensing when the bedroom door opened.   The tread of heavy boots announced her husband ’ s return.
     
    “ Everything ’ s ready to go, Muira, ” Lachlan ’ s said from across the other side of the room. 
     
    Cait squeezed Muira ’ s shoulder tight and dropped a kiss onto her cheek.  “ It ’ s going to all right, ” she whispered.  “ You ’ re going to be fine. ”   And then before Muira had a chance to respond, she turned away, curtsied to Lachlan MacRae and slipped out of the bedroom.
     
    “ We ’ re really going then, ” Muira sighed, more to herself than to her Lachlan, but he heard and nodded. 
     
    “ We ’ re really going. ”
     
    ..ooOOoo..
     
    Watching Muira say her