Outlander Book Club: The Fiery Cross Chapter 18 breakdown
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Jamie and the others heading back from the Gathering. They are close to Fraser’s Ridge, and Jamie gets ahead and away from the group because of the horse that he’s on. Gideon isn’t the most well-behaved horse.
On the way, he comes across a small wild cat. He decides to take the cat home, but after a fall, he thinks the cat has escaped and been lost somewhere in the forest. He doesn’t get down and search for the cat, sure that with the way the cat has already grown up, he’ll be able to fend for himself.
The thought of the cat moves on as Jamie feels the apprehension of getting back home. It’s something he’s always felt since Culloden. He had to go to Lallybroch in the night from the cave, always with the threat of being caught. Then he knew of men who would return to their homes being burned to the ground. Things like that play on his mind, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever not feel apprehensive as he gets close to home.
When back at the home, Jamie picks Claire a posy. It turns out that it was from poison ivy, which Claire didn’t tell him about. It was Brianna who mentioned it. Claire has kept the posy though because it’s not often that Jamie brings her something like that. Jamie only did it because Roger had picked up some flowers for Brianna on the way home.
Claire explains that the plants Roger picked are weeds that have seeds that will offer Brianna contraception. Jamie is surprised that women in the future have the ability to prevent pregnancy. He is also concerned that women would get married and not want to start a family. Is there trouble between Bree and Roger?
Claire isn’t too worried. And she notes that Roger is the one who picked the weeds. He clearly respects Brianna’s decision, potentially because he comes from the same time period.
That’s when the conversation moves onto Claire considering having a hysterectomy. Jamie questions why she didn’t, making it clear that he has enough children and doesn’t want any more. He just wants Claire. Of course, Claire had no way of knowing that, and since she’s getting close to menopause, she doesn’t think she’s likely to get pregnant anyway.
That night while they’re sleeping, Claire is woken to an animal in the bed with her. She screams and the animal scurries away, and Claire immediately believes it’s a rat. Jamie gets off the bed and finds the cat there. The cat hadn’t escaped after all.
He brought the cat for Claire and her surgery. This cat is sure to catch vermin as he gets bigger.
The two discuss names, and Jamie suggests Adso. It was the name of his mother’s cat and is the name of a monk. Claire goes with the name Adso.