We head to Helwater in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Chapter 6. We’re close to seeing Jamie Fraser in the story.
The chapter is full of grief and understanding. We get a chance to see the aftermath of Geneva’s death, something that isn’t focused on in Outlander. As much as we all want to hate on Geneva, she was a woman in a situation we wouldn’t never want to imagine ourselves in, and it is still worth having some empathy for her.
I definitely have empathy for her family. It’s clear that they are the center of gossip while they also try to grieve the loss. And nobody has brought up the child yet. There’s still a lot to come.
Breaking down Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Chapter 6
The chapter starts with Lord John making it to Helwater. Lord Dunsany is taking the loss extremely hard. John notes that the loss of Geneva is harder than the loss of Dunsany’s son, and I think we can understand why with what we know about it from the Outlander books. Dunsany blames himself for Geneva’s death.
John notes how the family is grieving alone. That night he sees Isobel too close to a window for comfort. He fears that she will take her own life, and he steps her away from the window so that she can’t do that.
They talk about grief, and John shares what helped him after his father’s death. He liked to break things, and it does help Isobel a little. However, she can’t keep breaking items, so John offers to take her clay pigeon shooting some time. I love that we see how the two connect. There are clear signs that they could make a beautiful couple, even though John doesn’t feel that way for her. We have to remember the times.
That night, Tom shares the gossip that he has heard about Ellesmere. With the amount of blood there was, the staff believe that Ellesmere killed himself. There are bets on whether the vicar will allow Ellesmere to be buried on hallowed ground, and this makes John realize that everyone has talked about Geneva but not her husband. The two are supposed to be buried together the following day, and John will be a pallbearer.
Tom has some questions about what suicide means for estates. Does it mean that the Crown will take the lands of the man? That is possible, but if there are circumstances, such as the man was insane, the Crown won’t step in. That’s why John’s family still have their lands because Gerald was deemed insane. That could happen if they consider the rumors that Ellesmere killed himself. Just wait until John learns the full truth!
Could this chapter be used in a TV series adaptation?
Yes, we would definitely need to see this chapter. We need to see how the connection between Isobel and John forms. There has to be a reason the two marry, and it’s not just because of William. It was clear when John told Jamie that he would look out for William that this wasn’t just because of Jamie. There was already an arrangement in place.
I think we also need to know what the rumors are. There is a weight in Helwater, and we need to understand that, especially as Jamie will show up in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. We know what Jamie did, and we need to see John try to piece everything together.