As Jamie is taken through the streets of London in The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 7, we’re reminded that he’s never been here. However, he knows that there are places he doesn’t want to go.
Jamie Fraser takes in everything he can. He’s treated rather well if he is being taken to the gallows, but he still has no idea why he is in the city. We get a sense of the fear that he has, knowing what happens to prisoners in London.
It doesn’t take long for Jamie and us to get answers about why he’s being brought to London. And a certain duke is not happy with the way Jamie was being treated.
Breaking down The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 7
Jamie tries not to show the fear he is feeling as he goes through London. The soldiers feed him, clothe him, and give him some wine. It doesn’t settle his fears, though. We all know what prisoners are brought to London for.
This chapter does remind us that Jamie hasn’t been to London before. He has heard about it, and Claire has likely described what she knows of it. However, he never set foot in the city. The Jacobites didn’t get down far enough to take London.
However, Jamie does know the Tower of London. As they pass it, he’s able to breathe a little easier. He’s not being sent there.
Instead, he gets to a house, and a “duke” is mentioned. Jamie immediately thinks that he will be put in front of the Duke of Cumberland, and he starts to look for a means to escape. Then he’s shocked to see the actual duke in front of him. It’s the Duke of Pardloe.
Hal Grey is angry at the way the soldiers have kept Jamie in the dark. It seems like he doesn’t like making Jamie scared for the sake of it, either.
Could this chapter be used in a TV adaptation
This chapter would certainly be used if there was an adaptation of The Scottish Prisoner. There is no way around using it in a story.
We need to see Jamie’s fear of heading through the streets of London. It would be hard to have the reminders that he’s never been here without some sort of voiceover, but it would be easy to show the fear and the attempt to mask the fear through facial expressions.
Then comes the confusion as he sees Hal Grey in front of him. I think this would be a good place to stop Jamie’s POV and then give us John and Hal’s part of the story to catch up why Jamie is in London.