Richard Brown appears ready to take Claire to trial in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 87
We’re getting closer to where Outlander Season 6 came to an end. Richard Brown turns up in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 87, and we always knew that would mean trouble.
Brown turns up with the intention of taking Claire to trial. Of course, we know that Brown doesn’t actually want to take Claire to trial. The aim will be to kill her on the way and claim that she tried to escape or something. Brown blames Jamie for Lionel’s death and he wants revenge.
That doesn’t mean Jamie will let Claire go without a fight. He just needs some help, but will help arrive before it’s too late. One thing he knows is that this is what could cause the house fire that was written about in the broadsheet.
When the fisherfolk turn up, it’s not all that helpful. Most of them want to see Claire gone, although Hiram Crombie does attempt to soothe things. If Roger was there, things would have been much better, but it’s clear that Richard Brown has timed this perfectly.
In the end, it’s an unexpected person who helps to calm the situation. Tom Christie steps in.
This chapter was used for the TV series. There was no way around it, and I’ll get to my thoughts on it in the adaptation section.
It also foreshadows a couple of things. I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the foreshadowing section of the post.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 87.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Claire thinking about how people aren’t coming to her surgery anymore. The gossip is spreading, and Claire is being accused of murder. It’s only gossip until it isn’t.
Richard Brown turns up with his men. He wants to bring Claire to “trial” for murder. This is his chance to get back at Jamie for the death of Lionel Brown. Mrs. Bug manages to get out of the house for help, but help doesn’t come soon enough.
Jamie and Claire have to hold down the fort. They hold off the men long enough, but it will soon be nightfall. Jamie knows that this is the time they will likely set fire to the house to get the Frasers out. If the Frasers die in the fire, so be it. That’s something Jamie would do if the tables were turned.
Claire wonders about the obituary. This can’t be when that housefire is, could it? Jamie points out that the prints don’t always run right away. It could be.
In the end, the fisherfolk turn up. Hiram Crombie tries to talk some sense into everyone, but he’s not like Roger and can’t keep the fisherfolk under control. There are people within the fisherfolk who still look at Claire with suspicion and want to see her dead. There’s even talk of Jamie having to go with Claire. If it wasn’t Claire, it was Jamie. By taking Jamie too, both of them can be tried and at least one of them will be hanged.
Tom is the one who suggests that he goes with them, too. He wants to make sure that Claire gets a fair trial. He suggests that they both get a night in their own beds, and then it’s off to Salisbury in the morning.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
There is a little bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. Tom Christie will do what he can to keep Claire safe. He doesn’t believe Claire killed Malva. And I don’t think he believes Jamie did either. However, it’s more about Claire. Tom is in love with Claire, and we see some of that in this chapter. It’s going to take some time for it all to come out, though.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The chapter was used for the TV series. There was no way around it. We got some quiet moments with Jamie and Claire while waiting for the fight at night. This brings up Jamie’s nine lives, which was brought up in the books in an earlier chapter. I love the way the show managed to combine it all.
We needed this part of the storyline considering the Christies were such a big part of Outlander Season 6. We needed to see Tom do what he could to keep Claire safe, and we needed to see how everyone turned against the Frasers. Those who eventually came to help were too late, and there was just too few of them.
The whole chapter took up the majority of the episode. Well, this chapter and the next one. We’ve left fates in limbo in the series, but that was due to the pandemic and Caitriona Balfe’s pregnancy. It was a good spot for a cliffhanger ending to the season.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 87? Let us know in the comments below.
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