A desperate plan manages to free Jamie, but his wounds are more than just physical. At a nearby monastery, Claire attempts to save both Jamie’s heart and soul, as his mind lingers on the torture.
To Ransom A Man’s Soul opens in to the sound of fife and drum music in the yard of Wentworth Prison as the Garrison goes about their drills. We quickly find ourselves in the dungeon where a shell shocked and naked Jamie lies on a cot. Suddenly, behind Jamie on the cot, Randall sits up completely naked. Randall crawls off the cot and crosses the dungeon to dress. Jamie reminds Randall in a hoarse voice that Randall owes him a debt, namely a death.
Randall is interrupted from this moment by a crashing noise and goes to investigate but not before Jamie whimpers a wretched, “Please.” Randall only looks back a moment before he continues on his quest to investigate the crash leaving Jamie crying. Randall makes his way down the corridor where the noise appears to be coming from. He slides back the grate on a door to be confronted with stampeding highland cows.
The door between him and the cows is torn from its hinges and Randall is pinned beneath it while the cows rush over him and further into the prison. Following the cows are Murtagh, Rupert, and Angus who only pause a moment to view a bloody and broken Randall who appears to all intents and purposes to be dead (Huzzah!).
The three men make their way into Jamie’s cell where they find Jamie on the floor by the cot. They bundle him up and Murtagh carries him out of the back door Claire left unlocked. Meanwhile in the yard, the Garrison is dealing with a herd of cows and Claire waits in the road, a ways from the prison, for the men to arrive with Jamie. Murtagh tells her Jamie needs to be tended but it will have to wait but Claire isn’t willing to wait. Angus says the Red Coats were making such a racket with their drums that they didn’t hear them or the cows come into the prison.
Rupert points out that Jamie reeks and Claire tells us it is Oil of Lavender which is used to relieve pain though she doesn’t seem convinced it was used for that purpose. Angus is sent off to watch for the Garrison troops while Claire tries to rouse Jamie to waking. Jamie lashes out; wrapping his good hand around Claire’s neck, thinking Claire is Randall though Rupert stops him. Murtagh tells Jamie it is Claire but Jamie doesn’t wait to be touched. In Gàidhlig, Jamie tells Murtagh to stop tormenting him.*
Rupert asks if anyone would be wanting tea or can he get the wagon moving and the party rides off.
They arrive at an abbey, where Willie tells us Father Anselm agreed to give them shelter and to help tend Jamie as Willie has already told them what to expect upon their arrival. Claire is grateful.
In Jamie’s “room”, one of Father Paul is trying to get Jamie to eat when Jamie cries out and knocks the bowl from the his hands. Father Paul tells Claire it is alright and there is more broth to be had and while he doesn’t doubt Claire can heal Jamie’s body he’s worried over the turmoil of Jamie’s soul. Claire is focused on Jamie’s hand and preventing him from being crippled by it.
Claire tries to tend to Jamie but he flinches and tells her not to touch him. Claire is worried and asks what Randall did to him. Jamie tells her Randall did, “Too much and not enough.”
Jamie’s mind goes back to Wentworth, where he confirms Claire is away safely and Randall tries to make Jamie more “comfortable” by removing the nail from his hand. Jamie vomits and Randall goes to tend to him and clean him up. Randall tells Jamie he is magnificent and tries to kiss an unresponsive Jamie. Randall reminds Jamie they had an agreement and he can get Claire back to the prison. Jamie tells Randall the agreement was he wouldn’t resist implying he has no intention on participating. Randall isn’t okay with this and gets Jamie up and onto a stool.
Randall then reaches between Jamie’s legs and touches him to Jamie’s horror. Randall wants things to be pleasant between them. Jamie tells Randall to take what he must and be done with it, spitting in Randall’s face. Randall makes Jamie stand and asks if Jamie thinks he cannot control the darkness he inhabits. Randall then drops Jamie’s kilt and forces him over the table. Randall tells Jamie he will get a response from him entering him forcibly. Randall then brutally rapes Jamie telling him to scream. Jamie tries not to give into Randall but it is in too much pain.
Back at the Abbey, Jamie is pensive over the memory clearly not hearing Claire as she pours out the laudanum. Father Paul tells him the laudanum will help him sleep. Jamie tells them the whiskey will do just fine though Claire tells him she’s going to set nine bones in his hand and it will be painful.
Jamie tells her Randall made him crawl, made him beg, and before he was done want very badly to be dead. Claire informs him he’s not dead and she won’t let him end up a cripple. He tells her it doesn’t matter snatching the laudanum from her hand and downing as much as possible before Claire snatches it back. But it worked and now Jamie is out cold and Claire proceeds to set Jamie’s hand, pushing bones back into place and stitching the wounds. Claire just hopes they both have the strength to endure. As Claire raps the hands she tells us she believed Jamie’s hand would heal though it might leave him with a stiff ring finger.
When she finishes Father Paul tells her he will stay with Jamie through the night and call her should he awaken. Out in the hall, Claire is overcome and vomits, taking deep breaths for what seems like the first time since Jamie disappeared.
Inside the Chapel, Claire sits crying when Father Anselm enters apologizing for interrupting her prayers. She tells him she was just trying to clear her head. Father Anselm asks to hear her confession and she’s not sure if it will make sense. He tells her he might not but God will. Claire tells him her full name and then begins the tale of her honeymoon in 1945 and her traveling back to the 1743. Claire ends telling Father Anselm that everything that has happened to her led to Jamie being with Randall who did unspeakable things to him. She believes it is her fault and Father Anselm offers a moment of comfort before he tells her that her tale is extraordinary or possibly a miracle.
Father Anselm tells Claire whatever her sins might be (perceived or actual) they are absolved. This appears to come as a relief to Claire.
In Jamie’s room, Father Paul is trying to feed Jamie who is being stubborn and refuses food. Claire touches Jamie who appears to have a fever though his hand is healing nicely. Claire tells Father Paul she’ll need to coldest water possible (from the burn apparently) and clean cloth. When Father Paul leaves, Jamie tells Claire you can’t save a man who doesn’t want to be saved.
Outside, Rupert and Angus are drinking. Murtagh is worried because Jamie isn’t eating and Willie says a similar thing happened to his Uncle. A tree fell on his arm and it had to be cut off. Willie says his Uncle wouldn’t take any food and starved himself to death. Murtagh isn’t grateful for the story and Willie says he’s not comparing Jamie to his Uncle. Angus smacks Willie in the head.
In Jamie’s room, Murtagh is stirring broth as Jamie and he have a conversation in Gàidhlig about Jamie’s torment and his wanting to die. Murtagh reminds Jamie about Claire and asks if she’s to be a widow.*
Jamie remembers being in the dungeon and crawling away from Randall who wants to know if he’s reached his limit yet. Randall stands above Jamie who suddenly sees Claire and Randall wants to know what it is about Claire that captivates him. Jamie reaches for Claire but then realizes she’s not there and says, “There’s no more Claire.” Jamie is in despair thinking he will never see Claire again but Randall believes Jamie’s renouncing Claire and asks if Jamie is his now. Jamie sees Claire again and says, “there is only you,” and Randall is encouraged. He goes to the fire with his seal and heats it. Randall brings the hot seal to Jamie wanting him to brand himself over his heart but Jamie misses and brands his side, collapsing into Randall who seems invigorated with events.
Jamie lies in bed, remembering the brand.
Willie comes riding up to the abbey and tells everyone he saw two Red Coat patrols but they aren’t headed towards them yet. Murtagh tells them it is only a matter of time and Jamie’s not thriving. Claire wants to know where they’d go and Rupert tells her Scotland isn’t safe for Jamie and her now. Angus tells her the MacKenzie’s know people in Paris and Murtagh says there are Fraser’s there as well though Rupert says the man is a merchant and can’t fight sleep. Willie asks Claire if she doesn’t have her own family in France and Claire quickly tells Willie the family was that of her late husband and they’d not be inclined to take her in now. Claire also thinks Jamie would prefer to be with members of the Fraser clan but tells Angus “no offense” and he’s taken none as Rupert adds, “the offer stands.” Angus tells her, “The MacKenzie’s will always stand with ye.” Murtagh says he better secure a ship.
Willie goes to Jamie’s room asking if Jamie is awake* and tells Jamie Murtagh’s gone to get a boat to France. Jamie turns on his side and Willie tells Jamie he must keep his strength up. He says Jamie must eat for Claire’s sake. He says Claire loves him fiercely and that she is worried sick. He then asks Jamie what he can do to help. Jamie sees Willie blade and tells him to hand it over so he can’t put himself out of “this black misery.” Willie is stunned and Jamie tells him to hand over the blade but Willie tells him he won’t. Jamie yells for him to give it to him but Willie rushes off.
Murtagh returns to tell Claire about the Cristabel and that it cost about 50 gold but it is safe. Murtagh looks concerned as he finishes and Claire tells him Jamie asked Willie to kill him. She wants to know if Murtagh knew. He says he wanted to tell her but Jamie made him pledge not to say anything and he’s been praying she could talk some sense into him. Claire asks why he wants to die so badly and Murtagh tells her Jamie has been tortured and raped. “Isn’t that reason enough?” Claire says no and Murtagh tells her he believes there is more to what happened than what they know. Murtagh tells her he would never do anything to hurt Jamie unless… he won’t let Jamie be an animal caught in a trap. If it comes past the point of him healing he’d essentially help him go… and Claire faints into Murtagh’s arms.
Claire comes around and Murtagh says she collapsed like a sack of grain and “scared the piss right out of me.” Claire doesn’t want to think about herself and asks what she will do about Jamie. Father Paul says Jamie has to step into the light but Murtagh tells him Jamie won’t go anywhere he doesn’t want to. Murtagh tells them the only way to get Jamie back is to step into the darkness with him.
Claire picks and prepares lavender which she takes in oil form to Jamie. She tells him to breath in. Jamie hears Randall and comes awake. Jamie tells Claire to leave him be and she tells him she’s left him be for far too long. Jamie wants to know why she’s doing this, and Claire tells him it is to find out what happened that makes Jamie unable to look at her. She demands he look at her and again he hears Randall pushing her away. She flies off the bed and lands on the floor. Jamie comes down to the floor and she smacks him and fights him as he tries to subdue her. She says, “My husband wants to die and he won’t tell me why. Do you want me to hate you?” Jamie tells her “No” and then tears the “hospital gown” to reveal Jack Randall’s brand.
Claire is horrified and says, “he branded you.” She tries to say what Randall did doesn’t mean… but Jamie tells her he did it himself. She tells him it can be removed but he tells her Randall didn’t just use force… he tells her Randall made love to him and he…
Jamie remembers in the dungeon Randall making him breath in the Oil of Lavender and then using the oil on his body to rouse him. Randall then invoked Claire to Jamie’s mind making Jamie think of Claire. In Jamie’s pain and exhaustion induced state, he imagines Claire and finally gives into the sensation finding a forced pleasure. Randall uses his own hair to be like Claire’s before raping Jamie again. Jamie says Claire’s name as he climaxes and then realizes the psychological rape Randall has committed. Randall tells Jamie, “How could she forgive you?” as Jamie weeps….
Jamie tells Claire he couldn’t help it. It felt good not to be in pain. Claire asks if he thinks she won’t forgive him and that there is nothing to forgive. Jamie tells her he can’t be her husband any longer and he won’t be less. Claire tells him he did what he had to survive but Jamie tells her both Randall and he knew that Randall broke him. Claire tells Jamie he belongs to only her and she to him. He calls them weak words.
Jamie tells her he lies in that room feeling he will die without her touch but when they do touch he wants to vomit in shame. Claire tells him he is her husband and how dare he give up on her now. Claire tells Jamie Randall may have taken his body but he can’t have Jamie’s soul. She tells him he is hers and they are meant to be together. She tells him everything that has happened in the last months has been for them, to bring them together.
When Jamie doesn’t seem to be responding, Claire tells him if he takes away the last thing that makes sense to him she will die with him right there and now. Jamie finally looks at her crying face and reaches for her but doesn’t touch her. He then asks how she can have him like this and she takes him in her arms and tells him she will take him any way she can, always. Jamie slowly and tentatively reaches around her and embraces her.
Murtagh and Father Paul join them later as Claire calls for the laudanum but Jamie wants to be awake when Murtagh cuts “him” out of him. Murtagh cleanly cuts the brand off of Jamie and tosses it into the fire.
On the shore, Willie tells Claire they will miss her and that they will never find a healer like her. Claire hugs Willie goodbye and says he is a true friend and not all are sad to see them go. Rupert tells her it isn’t personal but keeping Jamie and her out of harm’s way is a full-time occupation.
Angus asks if he can kiss Claire goodbye but she says that is too final and he can kiss her au revoir. Angus takes advantage and Rupert pries him off of her. Rupert then kisses her on the hand and tells Angus that is how you take your leave of a lady.
As Claire and Murtagh go towards the rowboat, Angus yells if they see the King Across the Water to give him his best. Rupert tells him that King James is in Italy not France.
Jamie and Claire are rowed out to the Cristabel. On board, Claire is at the railing sick and Jamie says he thought he’d be the one puking his guts out over the side. Jamie asks if he should get her a bucket and she tells him she’s glad to see he’s regaining his sense of humor. He tells her he is trying. Claire asks if they will be all right and Jamie says he’ll see to it.
Jamie tells Claire they will return to Scotland and Claire reminds him about the war and Culloden. Jamie says they will play their part. Claire wonders if they could stop it from happening. She tells him Bonnie Prince Charlie is in France and she believes they can do anything as long as there together. Jamie tells her it will take some thought.
Claire turns to leave but then tells Jamie there is something else. He’s not sure he’s ready to hear anything else. Claire says Murtagh told her that once they are underway Jamie will be too seasick to have a conversation. She then tells him why she’s sick… she’s pregnant.
Jamie is stunned and in Gàidhlig says, “Absolutely brilliant.”* Claire doesn’t know this and asks if he is happy. Jamie tells her he never thought he’d be able to say such a thing again but he’s very happy. They kiss as the ship gets underway.
And season one ends as they sail for France.
