Outlander Book Club: Voyager Chapter 14 breakdown
Just the Outlander chapter
We start with Jamie and John on their way to Helwater. John suggests that Jamie changes his name, as they’re heading to a place where the lady of the house doesn’t like Jacobites. Her son was killed at Prestonpans. While there’s no hiding that Jamie is a Scot, or even a Highlander, they can cover up the fact that he’s a Jacobite prisoner.
It turns out Ardsmuir Prison has closed. The prisoners have been sent to the Colonies as indentured servants, which Jamie considers as nothing better than slaves. At this point, he believes that he’s going, and he can’t help but think of the time on the ship. We all know about Jamie’s seasickness by now, so it’s hard not to feel sorry for him.
However, Jamie is getting some sort of reprieve. The king isn’t going to let a traitor go to the Colonies. The other men are prisoners of war, but Jamie is a convicted traitor. So, he needs to remain in the UK somewhere. Helwater it is since John Grey has some connections there.
Jamie meets Geneva and Isobel, who are only 17 and 14. This is something I’m always shocked into remembering because I think of the characters on the TV show. They are much older on the show, but Geneva is still just as spoilt. She’s used to getting her own way, and literally stamps her feet at times when she doesn’t.
Geneva takes a liking to Jamie, but he’s still surprised when she orders him to her bed-chamber. She’s to be married, and she doesn’t want to lose her virginity to a man old enough to be her grandfather. She wants to choose who takes it, and she wants it to be Jamie.
She also knows his real name, because she’s intercepted a letter from Jenny at Lallybroch. Jamie and Jenny had found ways to get letters to each other, which includes a mention of the gold to sent to Lochiel (one of the men Jamie fought with) in France. Geneva knows that this is enough to convict both of them, and anyone else connected to them.
Jamie has no choice but to give into the blackmail. He does go to her bed-chamber that night. Part of him feels sorry for her, but he is angry that she’s done this. At the same time, it’s been so long and he finds Geneva attractive that his body starts to take over. He’s lusting for her and can barely control himself.
Geneva does have a second thought as she feels a little pain and tells Jamie to stop. She struggles against him, but he doesn’t stop. Instead, he gives her what she wanted in the first place, and she doesn’t regret it afterward.
The chapter ends with Jamie getting out of the house just before dawn.