Outlander Book Club: The Fiery Cross Chapter 40 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Claire at Jocasta’s wedding. Brianna comes up to her and shares that she’s heading to Jocasta’s room to feed Jemmy. There isn’t much going on at the wedding right now. They’re all just waiting for the wedding ceremony to start. That will happen since there is a priest, and there doesn’t seem to be a reason for the priest not to stick around.

The main story for the chapter comes at the end. Jamie catches up with Claire and shares everything that Duncan has told him.

No, Duncan is not into men. There’s no way Jamie would allow Duncan to marry Jocasta if that was the case. And no, Duncan does not have another wife somewhere who he thought was dead and has suddenly turned up. This isn’t like her and Jamie!

It turns out that Duncan is impotent. He suffered an accident years ago when he was engaged to be married. After realizing he wouldn’t be able to perform in the bedroom on the wedding night, he released his fiancee from her promise and he didn’t marry after that. Now he’s worried about what to do on the wedding night with Jocasta because she doesn’t know.

Claire wonders if she should help Duncan, maybe she can help him. That’s not something Jamie thinks she should do. After all, Jamie knows that Duncan was embarrassed just talking to him, so Duncan will be even more embarrassed talking to Claire. Most men are embarrassed about talking about their bowel movements with Claire!

But at least we have the secret.