Outlander Book Club: The Fiery Cross Chapter 12 breakdown
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Claire thinking about home. She has mixed feelings about it. There are people she’s met that she’ll probably never see again. And there are some that she already knew who she may never see again because of how infrequent Gatherings are and how difficult it can be to travel between places.
One thing she does think about is all the patients she’s seen. Some of them she cured, but others she couldn’t. However, she’s not just giving up. She will think about their ailments and find a new way to treat them. I love that we get this quick mention, reminding us that Claire will do whatever she can for her patients.
She also considers her own menstrual cramps. She hasn’t had them for a while as she starts going through pre-menopause.
As she gets back to camp, she can smell burning metal. She realizes that someone has left an empty kettle on the fire, and they’re so hard to find that she isn’t going to let it get destroyed. She chooses some swear words in French, which Germain ends up picking up on. Marsali isn’t all that bothered considering Fergus teaches him the words on purpose. It’s a cute moment to see Marsali’s life, even at just a glimpse.
Once Claire has dealt with getting the kettle off the fire, Jamie turns up with the priest. Jamie joins Claire at the river where she fills the kettle. That’s when Jamie comments about Claire’s courses. He knows that she’s not had them for a few months, and he thought that she was done with them. Claire points out that it’s not like a tap to just turn off.
Initially, Jamie worries that Claire won’t come to his bed anymore. Before they can have a conversation about that, he tells Claire that he’s promised something of her. He’s like to bring Josiah Beardsley to the Ridge. Since he’s only 14, he won’t be expected to join the militia, so he can help with the homes.
It turns out Josiah is a good hunter. He and Jamie have come to an agreement but only if Claire will remove his tonsils. Josiah wants it to happen today, but Claire makes it clear that isn’t possible. There’s a high risk of infection. However, she will do it at the Ridge when he moves there. Jamie accepts that compromise.
Jamie still doesn’t get too much time with his wife. Multiple people need him, including the priest that he’d brought to the camp. The priest has been arrested, and this is bound to cause some problems.