We get back to Lord John Grey in The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 9. He bumps into an old friend, and it leads to an intimate encounter.
The chapter doesn’t offer too much in the way of pushing the particular book storyline forward. It does, however, remind us of the man that Lord John Grey is. I still remember everyone pointing out that writers got Lord John Grey wrong in Outlander Season 4, but the LJG book series continues to paint him in the way the show writers gave us.
Breaking down The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 9
The chapter starts with Lord John Grey walking in the rain. He is angry at Hal for bringing Jamie to London. This wasn’t something that he wanted, but clearly, Hal has his own thoughts on how to deal with the Siverly matter.
John wants to be as uncomfortable as Jamie is right now, which means he disregards a lift from Nessie to her home. Instead, he goes to the Beefsteak, where he is able to get a bath and change into some ill-fitting clothing. It continues that idea that he wants to be uncomfortable, knowing that Jamie is.
While at the Beefsteak, John and Harry meet. They discuss some erotic poetry, leading to John wondering how well Harry and his mother, Benedicta, know each other. However, they are interrupted by Stephan von Namtzen, who is back.
The three and Stephan’s associate have dinner together. We learn that Stephan is back in London with his children after the death of his wife, Louisa. His sister is helping to raise his children.
This allows Stephan and John to finally share a passionate moment together. They know they shouldn’t, but they do it anyway. It’s been a rather slow burn to this, and we get that reminder that John routinely acts on impulse and hormones, despite his position.
Could this chapter be used in a TV series adaptation?
If there is an adaptation of The Scottish Prisoner, I’m in two minds about whether this chapter would be used. It does nothing to further the overall plot. While I would love to see Stephan back and to see that connection between the two men, the question always is about time. Would there be enough time in a TV show adaptation to include it?
I have a feeling that a lot of the focus would be on John and Jamie being in Ireland together. That’s what people are actually tuning in for, so I would think that this chapter would be skipped over.
My big issue is that we don’t get to see Hal tell John that Jamie will go to Ireland with him. That is an important scene and completely skipped over, so I could see that being added in instead.