Lord John Grey gets to see life in the North of Black people in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 48
I absolutely adore Outlander Book 7, Chapter 48, as we get to see Lord John Grey slightly off-guard. He’s been so used to life in the South, that he doesn’t realize what life in the North for Black people is actually like.
This isn’t a surprising reaction, to be honest. I’m sure in the South, they weren’t told that Black people owned houses and were free people in the north. If they were, I’m sure there was plenty of propaganda about how it was dangerous for the world.
Lord John Grey should have known that there were free Black people in the North, but that doesn’t mean he really took in what that meant. We get a chance to see how he reacts and has to change the way he interacts.
There is certainly some foreshadowing in this chapter, and I will get to that in the foreshadowing section. I’m excited to see this play out in Outlander Season 7. Based on recent casting, I’m certainly expecting it.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 48.
Just the Outlander chapter
John arrives at the house where his nephew, Henry, is being kept. Henry is a prisoner of war, but he’s gravely injured. We find out in this chapter that he has metal in his stomach. It’s stopping him from eating, and the surgeons aren’t exactly helping the situation.
However, before John can see Henry, he meets Mercy Woodcock. Mercy is a Black woman, a homeowner and freewoman in the North. John isn’t expecting that, though. He asks to speak to her master when he first meets her, leading to an awkward moment as she explains that she owns the house.
I love the way John has to double back on himself. He was not expecting this, but he immediately changes the way he speaks to her, including saying “your servant” at one point to her. I love how he just quickly changes, even if in his mind it feels strange.
He also notices something between Mercy and Henry. There’s a little bit of plot development there. Something is brewing between the two of them, and John will have a few more thoughts about that.
Mercy confirms that Henry isn’t able to eat anything. Things are not looking good, and John has to put a brave face on. He turns to some darker humor to keep the situation light, and that includes telling Henry not to die before he can get Dottie to him. Knowing Henry was injured, he didn’t want to bring Dottie right away in case the situation was something more than she can stand.
I also get a sense of optimism in John. It’s clear that he’s planning, and this is where the foreshadowing is.
There is a comment about John also having some shrapnel in him. You’ll want to read The Haunted Soldier for that.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
So, the foreshadowing. The budding relationship between Henry and Mercy is more of plot development for their characters. I won’t get into that.
The foreshadowing is in two things: one of those is John choosing to wear a green suit and not his British Army uniform. Mercy is not a British supporter. She’s being asked to look after Henry by the Patriots. Henry is a prisoner of war. It was smart not to wear the uniform, even if John doesn’t seem to understand this all that much.
The other bit is in Mercy saying the surgeons were going to end up killing Henry. It’s clear that the case is serious, and John is just the person Henry needed to come to see him. John knows the best surgeon in all of the colonies. It’s clear that he is thinking of a way to get word to Claire Fraser. Can she get to Henry in time?
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I fully expect this part of the story to be used in Outlander Season 7. We know that Mercy Woodcock has been cast, so it makes sense to have this storyline. it brings John back into the story, and that will give John and Jamie some time to talk after John has found out Jamie has defected.
I also want to see John and Claire interact again. I want to see John trust in Claire to save his nephew. Other than his own child, this is the greatest honor John can offer to prove that he does respect Claire’s abilities and trusts her to save lives.
I also want to see John stumble as he witnesses life for Black people in the North.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 48? Let us know in the comments below.
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