Outlander Book Club: A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 81 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Bree not too certain that Jamie is telling the truth. She wants to believe him, but she remembers of a time when she was younger going through Frank’s wallet. She found a note from someone who wanted to meet with him. She goes on to explain she never had proof, but she did always feel like things were off between Claire and Frank.

This continues that belief that Frank did have affairs. However, Diana Gabaldon has shared that in the book, Frank didn’t cheat. So, what was he up to and who was that note from?

Roger wants to stop the rumors, though. He is sure that Jamie didn’t have an affair. For one, he knows Jamie. He also knows that Malva isn’t telling the truth about when she got pregnant. He notes that it is now May, and if she’s six months along, she would have conceived in November. Malva says it was when Claire was sick, and Roger notes that was in September. The timing is off.

Why wouldn’t he tell anyone of this? Maybe he realizes that it will do no good. He does think that getting Jamie and the Christie men to the Lodge might help to stop the rumors, though.

Things move on at the cabin, where Roger hears someone chopping wood. It’s Malva, so he goes out to talk to her. There isn’t much time for her to say anything. Allan Christie comes out and starts a fight, but Roger is bigger and able to handle it.

In the end, Jamie and the Christies don’t get to work things out in the Lodge. The Christies don’t attend. It means the rumors will keep on spreading.

Brianna does get the chance to tell Bobby that Malva is pregnant. She doesn’t tell him about all the rumors, but Bobby heads out of the house anyway. He has something else on his mind. He ends up in a fight with Young Ian, which certainly foreshadows a few things to come in the next chapters. Malva is not so innocent.