We get some brotherly moments between John and Hal in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 24
We get to a fairly long chapter in An Echo in the Bone. It starts off with some brotherly moments between Hal and John. However, Outlander Book 7, Chapter 24 gets deeper into the Beauchamp situation.
I love that we get some moments between Hal and John in this chapter. Some of these threw me off on the first read. I hadn’t read the Lord John Grey book, so it was hard to get a grasp of their relationship. After a while, it all comes together well. Why wouldn’t two brothers get along as they do?
However, the chapter doesn’t stay with the two of them. There is a huge focus on getting to the bottom of the Beauchamp situation. That’s going to take a little longer, though. We do get some more information about Denys Randall-Isaacs, though.
The chapter is mostly about plot development at this point. It’s clear that the Beauchamp plot is the main focus for both John’s and Williams’s storylines at this point.
Whether it will be used in the TV series is another thing. I’ll get to my thoughts on this in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 24.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter takes place in two different locations. We start with John, who gets information from a woman called Nessie about Percy Beauchamp. However, this woman knows too much about Hal for John’s liking. Has he visited brothels? It turns out it’s Hal’s footman who goes to the brothel and likes to talk.
One thing John does find out is some connections Beauchamp has made. After telling Hal that he’s going to France and about Dorothea (I love that Hal is accepting of William being Dottie’s love interest. That shows us how much he respects John’s parenting.), John heads to France to get more information.
While in France, John learns that Beauchamp and Denys Randall-Isaacs have been spotted together. This doesn’t sit well with him at all. It’s clear that Denys is up to something by getting William to join him on a mission.
The next part of the chapter is letters from William. He writes from Quebec, and shares that he’s visited a Convent. He and Denys went there to see Sir Guy to find out more about the American rebels. However, Guy has gone off to deal with an insurrection, and William wants to help him. Denys dissuades William of that.
William learns a little but about Lord John in this. The Mother Superior of the Convent shares that Lord John has met with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope. William is surprised that John, a Protestant, has met the Pope, but that’s his social standing. He will still work with those of different religious circles.
William shares that he can hear a peculiar sound. I have to question about his ability to travel. Did Geneva have that? After all, it is the winter solstice and that would mean portals are open. There could be one in Quebec. What else could the sound be?
We also get a sense of how far north William is. He can see the Northern Lights.
By the end of the letter, we learn that Denys has told William to wait while he goes off on some sort of mission. It’s clear that Denys is up to something, and we didn’t need John’s part of the chapter to know this. Just what is this?
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
There is a tiny bit of foreshadowing outside of the main plot in this. William mentions that he wants to meet Colonel Arnold, who I’m assuming is supposed to be Benedict Arnold. I get a sense that this foreshadows William’s upcoming storyline that sees him learn the truth about Jamie and then question everything about who he is. He resigns his commission and has to figure out which side of the war he is supposed to be on.
The rest of the chapter I see mostly plot development. There is something major going on with Denys.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
If the TV show has the time to keep the Beauchamp storyline in, we could see some of this chapter. John’s parts are the most important. However, I just don’t think there’s time to get this storyline in, especially if Outlander Season 7 ends up being the final season.
I do think William’s parts are mostly going to be about finding out Jamie is his father. It also gives us the best way to meet the Hunters, who we know are coming into the season. Maybe we could see a spin-off that is John and William with this part of the story. We could even get more Fergus!
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 24? Let us know in the comments below.
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