Outlander Book Club: A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 96 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with the burning of the fort. It’s a good thing that nobody was staying there. However, things are tense on the ship for another reason. Governor Martin now knows that Claire is the accused murderess.

When Jamie gets to the ship, the Frasers have a few seconds together before Jamie heads to see Governor Martin. He initially notes that the governor could allow Claire to go free without a trial. The governor enacted martial law, which means what he says goes. However, Martin refuses to do that. It would look bad for him.

So, Jamie wants a fair trial. He offers the black diamond, which Martin takes as a bribe at first. However, Jamie makes it clear that it is for the fair trial and that’s all. Martin decides not to take it, and instead makes Jamie an offer. If Jamie can bring 200 men for MacDonald’s campaign, Claire can go free.

Does Jamie have 200 men to do this? Claire knows that the Ardsmuir men would follow Jamie, but the fisherfolk won’t. This is going to be hard. Jamie keeps a poker face, though. He wants to think about it and then leaves Claire on the ship for the time being. Martin probably knows that Jamie can’t get the men. He can smell the soot and turpentine smells from the fort, suggesting that Jamie helped John Ashe.

Claire is angry. She has an outburst involving a knife that she stole. If Martin didn’t think her capable of murder up to this point, this is the moment it could change.