A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) Read Online Free

tell me what the hell you were doing ten miles from home? ”
     
    Muira stared at her brother, considering telling him the truth for the umpteenth time, but she just couldn ’ t do it.  She was so ashamed of having been duped by Tavish.  Muira knew that she had to get married.  It was just- what was done.  She also knew that there was nothing that her brothers or father could do to break her engagement with her fianc é , at least not without bringing the whole family into disrepute.
     
    Disgrace hadn ’ t seemed such a very terrible cross to bear that morning, however, not given the alternative.  Tavish had arrived in her room almost before dawn, before she ’ d even dressed.  She wasn ’ t sure how he ’ d managed to get there, but knew better than to question him. He had announced his intention to … test his husband ’ s rights. 
     
    Muira shuddered to remember the feel of his body pressing down upon hers.  The cruel, unyielding hardness jutting into her soft curves...  He ’ d warned her not to scream, to lie still and take it like the filthy whore she was, and she had been going to obey! 
     
    Muira couldn ’ t believe how low Tavish had dragged her, how well he ’ d broken her spirit.  She ’ d lain there, tears rolling down her cheeks, trying to find a corner of her mind in which to hide, listening to the jeer of his voice as his hands groped at her skin.
     
    “ Maybe what I ’ ll do is tell daddy what a little slut you are, ” he hissed.  “ I ’ ll go to him the morning after our wedding and tell him how you were already used.  Get him to compensate me for having a whore as a wife by doubling your dowry. ”
     
    “ No! ” Muira had shrieked.  She hadn ’ t been able to bear the thought of her father thinking badly of her.  Of being ashamed of her!  The force with which she ’ d shoved at Tavish had evidently caught him by surprise, because the weight crushing her into the bed was released just enough to allow her to slip out from under him.
     
    She didn ’ t care that her nightdress was torn, that her skin was bruised or that her cheeks were wet with tears, she had bolted from the room, with Tavish ’ s vicious voice ringing loudly in her ears. 
     
    Muira had run through the corridors of the castle until she ’ d reached the room of her best friend, Cait - the orphaned daughter of Muira ’ s aunt ’ s sister ’ s niece.  A ward of the laird, who, with a pittance of a dowry, had no false hopes of marrying well and had set her sights on becoming a governess.  Cait had comforted Muira as well as she was able, but even she couldn ’ t coax her friend into revealing exactly what had happened.
     
    Muira hadn ’ t meant to run away exactly.  She hadn ’ t planned it.  She had simply gone for her morning ride, (alone as she was fond of doing (to the fear and annoyance of everyone who knew her)), and had just … kept riding. 
     
    “ Muira! ” Ewan ’ s voice dragged Muira back to her current predicament.  “ Talk to me? ” he sighed.  “ What ’ s wrong? ”
     
    “ I- I just rode further than I ’ d realised, ” Muira mumbled.  “ Any by the time that I had realised Maisie had gone lame, so I tried to lead her back, only then it started to rain and I twisted my ankle, and so we stopped by the roadside to get our bearings, and that ’ s when Mr MacRae rode by, ” she explained in a rush.  It all sounded so innocent when put like that.
     
    Well, it was innocent , she argued silently, minus the running away part, nothing untoward had gone on at all.
     
    Ewan made some sort of grunt, Muira couldn ’ t tell if it was of belief or dis belief, but they had finally reached Castle Cameron, and so Muira was granted a small reprieve.
     
    “ Muira Cameron!  There you are!  And looking-  Well!  We ’ ve been so worried! ”  
     
    Muira hung her head sheepishly as her aunt and Cait rush out of the huge front doors of the castle to greet her.
     
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