Outlander Book Club: The Fiery Cross Chapter 29 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

Claire and Jamie want to get away from the Beardsley homestead as soon as possible. It may be night, but they’re going to travel through the night anyway. They don’t want to stay around the home, and they won’t eat there, either.

Mrs. Beardsley also makes it clear that she’s coming with them. She won’t stay at the homestead, and she’s bringing the goats with her. She explains that they need to leave because Mary Ann will be out at the Rowen tree (not actually a Rowan tree but looks similar) at moonlight.

Claire does get the chance to ask about Mary Ann. While the group is on the road, they’re attacked by a panther. The billy goat is injured with a broken leg and one of the nannies is taken off by the panther. Jamie looks for the trail again, but he’s too ill and tired to travel. They’re going to make camp for the night.

While Jamie is looking for the trail, Claire and Mrs. Beardsley (Fanny) talk. Fanny explains that she was Mr. Beardsley’s fifth wife, and Mary Ann was his fourth wife. The other wives were buried elsewhere, but she was buried under the Rowan tree, and Fanny believes Mary Ann saved her life the night Mr. Beardsley attacked and had the stroke.

Fanny believes that Mary Ann is real. After all, Mary Ann showed Fanny the other wives’ graves. Claire doesn’t disbelieve Fanny’s story. After all, Claire has seen her fair share of ghosts. However, she and Jamie do question some of it at the end. Jamie clearly doesn’t trust Fanny after everything he saw on Mr. Beardsley.

That night, Jamie sleeps with his head in Claire’s lap. She sees him smile in his sleep, and realizes she hasn’t seen that since before Culloden. It means he’s happy, and Claire can’t help but smile at that.