Outlander Book Club: Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Chapter 15 breakdown

We get back to Benedicta’s home in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Chapter 15. Lord John does not tell her the truth about what happened to him.

We do start this chapter at Tyburn Hill, though. This is important, as we left John in the mud. It turns out that people aren’t just going to help him out of there. We also learn that that mud isn’t just mud!

The chapter itself is more of just another look at John’s family life. We also see him find a way to honor the promise to get Mrs. Tomlinson to safety in Ireland.

Breaking down Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Chapter 15

The chapter starts with Lord John Grey being helped out of the mud by some Scotch Greys. This mud isn’t just mud, though. Think about what happens to the body at the time of death, especially a death like hanging.

The people in the crowd were trying to drown John in a puddle. He’s lucky to be alive, and it really does show the danger he was willing to put himself in for a man who blackmailed him.

As John returns home, he can’t tell his mother or cousin the truth. He tells them that he was run over by a coach and clarifies that it was completely random. Benedicta is worried that there was another attack on John. She does come out with a great line about how he’s tracking mud everywhere.

Poor Tom will have to deal with all the mud and the stench of the clothes. That’s his job as the valet, after all.

At the end of the chapter, we find out that Percy will take Mrs. Tomlinson to Ireland to be with her brother. He’s been there before, anyway. This does mean that John tells Percy the truth about what happened to him. It makes sense that John would tell Percy this considering Percy knows about John’s secret. They share the same one.

Could this chapter be used in a TV show adaptation?

I don’t expect to see this chapter used all that much, but it will depend on whether the previous one is. If we see John fall into the mud, it would make sense to see him pulled out. We need the realism of what the execution places were like.

The only bit that really serves to further a storyline is the bit with Percy, though. We could see that conversation happen, but in a slightly different way. This would mean John fulfills the promise to Bates, and we see the development of Percy and John’s relationship.

The rest of the chapter doesn’t serve the overall story. If there is a lack of time in a potential adaptation, a chapter like this would be one cut.