Outlander Book Club: A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 46 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Young Ian sharing that Manfred has ran off. He intends to kill himself, and Claire is upset about that. She could at least try to cure him of syphilis. Claire wants to send the Beardsley twins off to find Manfred to try to cure him.

However, it means Jamie is the one who needs to tell the McGillvarys about Manfred’s illness. He chooses to tell Robin alone, so it’s not surprising that the next morning at dawn, Ute comes banging on the house door waking everyone up. She refuses to believe the truth and decides that the Frasers have either lied or Claire has done something.

Ute makes it clear that Salem is closed to the Frasers. They are shunned. However, Ute can’t make good on all promises. Claire later shares that while some people do shun the Frasers and MacKenzies, not everyone does.

There is talk, though. Some people believe the truth, but others put the blame on Claire and Lizzie. Jamie, Young Ian, Roger, and others defend the women, meaning that there is less talk around their ears. That doesn’t mean the talk won’t continue.

The problem for everyone is that Lizzie’s engagement is off. She’s not that bothered about losing Manfred, but she is disappointed that she’s lost the McGillvarys. She enjoyed having a big family, and Ute was certainly welcoming. Lizzie’s dad is also disappointed by this. He’s lost his betrothed and the family that surrounded him.

At the very end of the chapter, Malva is with Claire in her surgery. She is shocked that women would want to sleep with men. Claire runs through the reasons women do it. Some do it for money, some for babies, but others because they enjoy it. Malva can’t imagine anyone enjoying it.