Outlander Book Club: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood Chapter 41 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Ernie taking Jem and Mandy back to Lallybroch. He’s angry that Rob attacked his wife, and clearly, he blames the children for that. It ends up with him leading the children right where Rob Cameron wants them.

When Bree sees Ernie’s car show up, she’s concerned. It doesn’t help that the phone at Lallybroch rang and a light turned on. She knows there is someone in the house. She has her shotgun ready, though, and it becomes useful when the men attack and then Rob Cameron and a group of accomplices turn up.

Ernie is absolutely useless in all of this. He floods the engine after his car is rammed by Rob Cameron’s van. It’s only luck that really saves them since Rob has no idea how to use Bree’s rifle. Also, Bree can stay calm in a gunfight, which helps.

Then a car shows up, giving Ernie a chance to get the MacKenzies away. That car starts to follow them, and they all pull over at a petrol station to find out who it is. It is Jem’s principal and Rob’s cousin, Mr. Menzies. Menzies explains that he heard about Rob on the news and wanted to see if it was true. Now he knows he is.

Bree doesn’t tell him the full truth, even when Mandy makes it clear that Roger isn’t around. Bree says that Roger has gone to Orkney to find Jem after Rob took him, and that she isn’t sure when Roger will be back. She also makes it clear that Rob attempted to rape her. This is enough for Menzies to assume that Rob attacked for Bree rather than for Jem. He does worry that Rob molested Jem, though. Why would he worry about something like that?

Menzies and Bree head back to Lallybroch. It’s quiet now, giving Bree the chance to board up the window. Menzies wonders if Bree has family in America that she can go to. That’s just what she was thinking about.