Outlander Book Club: Book 2, Chapter 22 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

We start the chapter with Claire, Jamie, and Fergus on the way to look at horses for the Duke of Sandringham. Jamie is a master when it comes to good horses, and it also gives the couple a chance to get out of the city.

While on the way, Jamie talks about Charles’s chances of raising an army. They should be happy that both the French and Spanish kings don’t want to help. In fact, Spain has been told by Rome not to help. While Rome wants a Catholic monarch in England and Scotland, there’s some concern that England will fight against it too much. England hasn’t had a Catholic monarch since 1558. That’s almost 200 years.

Even Scotland hasn’t had a Catholic monarch for almost 200 years. It’s a little less time than England, but only by a year or two.

However, there is a concern considering the business venture Charles is getting involved in. If Charles can raise some of the money himself, Rome may see the Jacobite cause as one worth supporting. It could lead to the French bankers supporting Charles. This could lead to an army growing, so Jamie needs to find a way to stop that.

Instead of finding a way, the conversation moves onto Frank. Jamie decides that he didn’t owe Claire a life after all. They’ve saved each other about the same amount of times. However, Jamie still agrees to wait one year.

Why? It’s all about Claire having someone to go back to. Knowing that Culloden could happen and knowing how it turns out in Claire’s future, Jamie wants to make sure there’s someone for Claire should she need to return to her own time. He wants to make sure Claire has a husband who will support her and the baby. He hopes Frank is the type of man who would do that.

So, he needs to make sure Frank is alive in the future. He needs to agree to Claire’s request of waiting a year.

While in the countryside, Jamie notes how he misses the country air. He’d do anything to get back home.

However, it seems that’s not the case. The Duke of Sandringham has a proposition for Jamie, which he goes to Claire about. The Duke will help Jamie clear his name but only if Jamie stops seeing Prince Charles. The Duke thinks that Jamie is working for the Jacobite cause.

Jamie isn’t about to stop his role in Paris. Of course, he wants to stop the Jacobite cause, but he can’t let the Duke know that. So, it looks like he’s not getting rid of that price on his head.

While at the stables, Fergus ends up on a runaway horse. Jamie manages to save Fergus, but he pulls a muscle in his leg at the same time. That night back home, Claire uses a salve that Monsieur Forez gave her. It turns out Forez is the public hangman and he uses hangman’s grease in the salve.

Naturally, it disgusts Claire now that she knows the truth. She can’t think about it too much, though. Claire tells Jamie that she’s bleeding. She tries not to concern him too much, but she knows deep down that there’s nothing to do for this, especially not in the 18th century. She may lose the baby.