Outlander Book Club: Drums of Autumn Chapter 71 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

We start with Roger coming to Jamie to talk. He has memorized a letter from Frank to Reverend Wakefield. While he should tell Brianna and Claire, he’s not sure about that just yet and he wants Jamie’s opinion about the matter.

The letter includes a note that Frank arranged for Jamie’s gravestone to be placed at St. Kilda. Frank knew that Claire would eventually look into Jamie and Black Jack Randall. By finding Randall’s grave, Frank wanted her to find Jamie’s.

Frank also confesses that he feels wrong for taking Jamie from Claire. That was what he did when he told Claire never to research Jamie’s life.

At the same time, Frank was jealous of Jamie finding out that the man was real. He wanted to believe that Jamie was just a story, but then he looked at things Claire had said and found enough to convince him that it all happened. He feels Jamie watching him. Could they meet in the afterlife?

Jamie agrees that Claire and Brianna should know about the letter. Roger will tell them later.

During a later point in the chapter, Jamie gives Claire the gold ring back. He realizes that while he doesn’t mind taking Claire from Frank, he never wanted to take Frank from Claire. Both men mean the world to Claire.

The two move their conversation onto Brianna and Roger. They’re seeing the priest again, and Jamie makes a comment about changing the baby’s name again. Claire points out that the deadline Jamie gave the two has past and priests do other things.

Brianna has made her choice.