We head back to Wilmington to William and John in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 1
We pick up An Echo in the Bone with a storyline off the back of a previous A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter. We’re back in Wilmington in 1776 in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 1.
This chapter may be a little confusing at first. That would have especially been the case when initially reading it straight off the back of A Breath of Snow and Ashes. After all, Bree and Roger are still in the past, but we know they went to the 20th century at the end of the sixth book.
It soon becomes clear that this is just a quick time jump back to Wilmington to around the time Bonnet was executed. We get to see some of the story from William and John’s point of view, which helps to push their individual storylines forward.
Something that this chapter makes clear is that William and John will become more important in the Outlander story moving forward. It foreshadows a fair bit in that matter, and I’ll get to that in the right section of this chapter.
Will it be a chapter used in the TV series? Maybe, but that’s going to depend on how much of this storyline is used. I think some of it is going to be necessary.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 1.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with William and Brianna meeting in Wilmington. We get to hear William’s thoughts on the matter, but it’s clear that he doesn’t suspect anything just yet. Lord John Grey doesn’t seem too concerned about Willie meeting Bree just yet, although it could be a concern later.
John notes that it’s the only time the two siblings will get to meet. What does he know about where Bree is off to? He doesn’t know about time travel, so I’m not sure why he would even think that Bree and William couldn’t cross paths ever again.
For William, this chapter is about giving him a storyline for An Echo in the Bone. He’s offered the chance to be a messenger since he knows the Virginia terrain. If he happens to hear of any intelligence to pass along to the Crown, then that would be beneficial. William decides to take up the offer.
As for John, we learn that he got the boat for Bree to shoot Bonnet. John notes that Bonnet had a look of gratefulness when it came to his death, but it’s clear that he didn’t know that Bonnet’s fear was death by drowning.
He gets to his room, where a French man of the name Mr. Beauchamp is waiting. Beauchamp and John have a history, but they’ve never really met. That is until John realizes that Beauchamp is Percy Wainwright, and they definitely have history.
We know of the history from the Lord John Grey books, but you don’t need to read them to appreciate their past. It’s clear that the two were lovers at some point. Beauchamp has married Cecile Beauchamp and uses that family name from time to time, but that’s not the matter of conversation. He brings up an offer to the British government, but then there seems to be a veiled threat against Jamie and William. John makes it clear that Percy needs to stay away from him and his son. It’s clear this isn’t the last of Percy Wainwright.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The chapter foreshadows a fair bit. The first is that John and William are about to get more of a story in An Echo in the Bone. Their storylines will be important to the Frasers, and it just feels like it’s time for William to learn the truth about Jamie Fraser.
Then there’s Percy Wainwright showing up. The fact that he’s married into the Beauchamp family is clearly foreshadowing something. We know Claire’s maiden name is Beauchamp, and this all can’t be a coincidence. There is also a story with a certain French orphan who we know as Fergus Fraser.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
Will the chapter be used in Outlander Season 7? I get a sense that some of it will be. I want to see Percy Wainwright show up. Getting more details about Fergus is important, and I want to see that storyline and the potential connection to Comte St. Germain (can we believe the full story?) come out in the series.
I also think we’ll see something happen for William’s story. We know William is going to be in the seventh season, and he will come across the Hunters. That would mean he gets the offer of becoming a messenger.
However, the show could adapt William’s story by bringing it out with a quick statement as to why he’s traveling. We may not need the full backstory to help keep the time spent on some parts to a minimum. I just really hope to see this play out so we get to know William and so we get to see Fergus’s story more.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 1? Let us know in the comments below.
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