Claire is tasked with something medical in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 92
If Richard Brown thought that Claire would be put through her paces in prison, he was sorely mistaken. Claire ends up at the Governor’s Palace in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 92.
Why is it that Claire always finds a way to get out of some sticky and dark situations? Sure, she’s still facing trial for murder, but right now, she’s getting a little bit of freedom. Her skills as a midwife are needed in this chapter. In the end, it’s her skills as a doctor that will help. There are no babies just yet.
This chapter gives Claire a chance to find an escape from her predicament. After all that talk about why she couldn’t escape while on the road, it’s surprising that she’s now thinking about it. However, that’s probably to get back to Jamie and save him from whatever fate Richard had for him.
This chapter foreshadows a little bit. I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the foreshadowing section.
It hasn’t been used in the series yet, but I’ll get to my thoughts on whether it will be used or not in the adaptation section. There is time for it in Outlander Season 7.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 92.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Claire working while imprisoned. However, someone turns up looking for the midwife—and he wants to make sure she’s not the murderer. Sadie, the forger, claims to be the murderer to get Claire out of prison. Mrs. Tolliver has collapsed from a hangover and heatstroke so she can’t answer for anyone.
Claire ends up at the Governor’s Palace, where the governor’s wife, Mrs. Martin, feels like she’s in labor. Claire notes that it’s just food poisoning for now, but there is the threat of another illness. There’s an ague going around the city and the palace, and Claire will want to keep the mistress safe.
Claire gets to know Mrs. Martin a little more while she tries to get Mrs. Martin to have some dry toast and tea. Mrs. Martin had six previous pregnancies and mentions that the girls are staying with family in New Jersey.
It’s clear that there’s something Mrs. Martin isn’t mentioning about the pregnancies, but Claire can’t really focus on that. We later find out that only three babies are still living. The boys all died.
Mrs. Martin has figured out who Claire is. She wants to know the truth to the gossip. Claire makes it clear that Malva wasn’t Jamie’s mistress and she didn’t kill Malva. However, she did cut the baby from Malva’s womb.
Now that Claire has realized she’s in New Bern, she has some renewed hope. Fergus and Marsali are in town. She just needs to get to them. That isn’t going to be all that easy with the guards around. It’s also not easy when Mrs. Martin keeps calling for her help throughout the night.
The governor also has a job for Claire. Since she can write in a fair hand, he needs her to copy letters and other correspondence. He notes that she writes well and it’s a shame she’s a forger. She’s sure to die for that, but as a murderer who is well educated, she would have stood a chance of avoiding the gallows. However, Claire keeps her hopes up. Maybe she stands a better chance of escaping as a forger rather than a murderess.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The chapter does have a little bit of foreshadowing in it when it comes to Claire getting free. She’s focused on escaping during the chapter, but the foreshadowing is in how Sadie pretended to be the murderer. It’s not clear why she did it, but she won’t be the only person to claim to be the murderer.
Tom Christie is going to do just that. This is the only way to keep Claire free from trial, and it also prevents the scandal that Jamie notes in the previous chapter.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The chapter hasn’t been used yet, but I do hope to see it happen. The downside is that in the show, Claire is in Wilmington. Considering New Bern as the Fergus and Marsali connection, I’m still not sure why the show opted for Wilmington except to possibly keep the set development to a minimum.
However, there is a way to work this entire chapter in for Claire. We need to see how things aren’t all that bleak. There is a possibility of escape, and there are people who want her to be free.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 92? Let us know in the comments below.
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