Outlander Book Club: Voyager Chapter 41 breakdown
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts up with setting sail to the West Indies. Due to the time, some of the smugglers will make up the crew. One of those is Duncan Innes, who we’re quickly introduced to. Innes is described as having one hand. Little would we know at the time that Innes would be included later in the story.
Once they’re all aboard and the journey begins, Fergus brings Marsali out of hiding. They are married. Well, they are handfasted among witnesses, which means they have a year and a day to make it official.
Jamie isn’t happy with this. At first, he wants to send Marsali home, but she says that she will tell everyone that Fergus slept with her. Either they’re married or she’s ruined. Which way would Jamie like it? He decides to give his blessing, but they are not to sleep with each other until everything is fully done. That means Fergus and Jamie will share a cabin and Marsali and Claire will share one.
The women don’t like that idea, but it’s tough. Jamie is going to protect Marsali’s virtue and her name.
During the journey, Claire tries to find a way to cure Jamie’s seasickness. She even gets the ship’s cook to help her thanks to some of the herbs and orange peel she’s brought on board. Nothing that she and the cook create helps Jamie, and it becomes a challenge for both of tem. They need to find something that will help Jamie.
However, Jamie’s mind is partially on something else. There’s a chance he won’t even survive the voyage, and not because of the seasickness.
Fergus is sure there’s a traitor on board. Everything that has happened in Edinburgh is too coincidental, and it seems like someone is able to connect Jamie Roy to Alexander Malcolm. Now that the captain of the Artemis has called Jamie by his real name, whoever the traitor is will now be able to connect all names together. Lallybroch could also be in danger.
Claire joins Fergus in keeping an eye out for who the traitor could be. It seems Fergus has suspected Innes, but Jamie says it’s not him. This is going to be one hell of a journey.
Before Claire can worry too much about the traitor, she needs to help Jamie. Mr. Willoughby may have an option, but Jamie isn’t interested in it. Mr. Willoughby wants to try Chinese medicine. Claire realizes that it’s acupuncture, and Jamie should try it. To convince him to, she shares how dangerous dry heaving can be, including problems with the testicles.
It gets Jamie to try out the acupuncture, which seems to work. He may look like an ill-wish doll, but he’s able to focus on the bigger problem: the traitor.