Claire and Jamie call upon Jamie’s grandsire, Lord Lovat, in an attempt to elicit support. However, a visiting Colum MacKenzie has other plans, and Lord Lovat’s manipulations ensure that his own interests will be served.
The Fox’s Lair: Jamie and Claire are back in Scotland in time to see the potatoes, Claire warned Jenny to plant, be harvested. Jenny and Ian have had another child and life seems good. Until, Ian comes in with the mail which contains a letter from Aunt Jocasta and bumm..bumm..bummm a letter from Jared congratulating Jamie on his loyalty or something because Jamie realizes enclosed is a declaration of Charles Stuart’s divine right to the British throne with a list of signatures of clan chieftains who support Charles and wouldn’t you know Charles forged Jamie’s signature. Apparently, Charles is in Scotland (which makes no sense because they just had a harvest meaning it is October and Charles Stuart comes to Scotland in July 1745 and this would be 1744) and Jamie thinks the only way out is to try to win. Well what else are you going to do?
Jamie and Claire are off to Beauly to convince Lord Lovat to join the cause. Jenny thinks this is madness because Simon Fraser doesn’t do anything that doesn’t benefit his hold on the Fraser chieftain title. Jenny says the man tried to have their mother kidnapped so she couldn’t marry their father and when pressed as to who this man is both Jamie and Jenny tell Claire Lord Lovat is their grandfather.
Later that night, Jamie confesses his father was a bastard, but Claire could care less which let’s face it, would you care if you had Jamie? So they head to bed, not to sleep, and then later in the wee hours Claire wakes to find Jamie isn’t with her. When she goes in search for him, she finds he’s downstairs with wee Kitty (the baby) and he’s murmuring to her in Gaelic which just breaks Claire’s heart.
Jenny appears to tell Claire Jamie couldn’t sleep and took the baby so Ian and Jenny could sleep (perfect man no?). She goes on to say Jamie is pouring his heart out to the baby like he can to no other, like a mother does before the baby is born, she kens.
The next morning Jamie and Claire are off with instructions for Murtagh who they will meet up with later when Fergus comes riding into the dooryard on a donkey, announcing he’s going to war with Milord and Milady. Everyone is protesting this until Jamie tells them Fergus’s place is with them.
When they reach Beaufort Castle, they find Colum there. When he goes to greet them, Claire is put off by the fact she nearly died in a witch trial which Colum thought was Claire just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Claire informs both Jamie and Colum that Laoghaire sent her to Geillis and then tipping off the officials. Colum informs her Laoghaire was beaten for her overstepping.
Lord Lovat arrives, less than impressed by Jamie’s choice of wife but rather impressed by Jamie’s boldness. He sends Claire away and as she leaves, she runs into Laoghaire who is very sorry for the things she’s done and is paying penance for all her sins and wishes Claire to forgive her to which Claire pretty much tells her to hell with you. Claire tells Jamie of the meeting which Jamie is annoyed Laoghaire even at the nerve to approach Claire.
Jamie and Claire go to dinner where the subject is politics and Jamie is trying to convince everyone to support Charles and preserve their way of life but Colum is having none of it and craftily points out Jamie’s been spending time with Charles Stuart and knows full well there is no money to back the cause. Young Simon Fraser tries to point out that Charles has a price on his head which must mean the English crown sees him as a threat but his father ridicules him in front of everyone and Laoghaire who the young fox seems to fancy.
Later Jamie comments that Colum will never support the cause, but he needs to talk to his grandsire along to convince him to support the cause. He feels it is a pity that young Simon is so spineless.
The next morning Claire observes Lord Lovat throwing a woman out of his sitting room because she’s keeping something from him. Claire catches up to the woman who is a seer named Maisri.
Later, Jamie discusses the situation with Lovat who wants Lallybroch in exchange. Jamie’s not inclined to give it up, but Lovat is willing to have his men rape Claire to get it. And Jamie decides to use the La Dame Blanche card again knowing Lovat is superstitious. Lovat seems genuinely disturbed, but Jamie still warns Claire to be careful. Jamie also worries he’ll have to give up Lallybroch to get Lovat’s support thought Claire thinks it is better to get Lovat to try to protect his heir by getting young Simon to stand up and declare for the Stuarts.
Claire approaches Laoghaire and tells her Young Simon is infatuated with her and she can use that to get him to help Jamie’s cause. In return Claire will forgive her and get Jamie to do so as well.
Jamie tries to explain to Colum that the war will fail without the troops, but Colum thinks he sounds mad and reckless. Colum asks Jamie not to give up Lallybroch for this war which he can’t win but Jamie can only promise to do what he must to save those he and Colum hold dear.
Claire walks with Young Simon to the chapel but is met by Laoghaire on the way. Claire excuses herself hoping to leave Laoghaire to use her wiles but Simon isn’t really good and romancing. Simon recites some poetry for Laoghaire, but she interrupts him to get him to sit by her.
Meanwhile, Claire finds Maisri in the chapel and gets her to tell her about the vision she wouldn’t share with Lovat which was of him with a man in a black hood behind him and the shadow of an ax across his face. She doesn’t want to tell Lovat because he might kill the messenger. She also tells Claire that sometimes she’s been able to change the outcome.
Claire hears Laoghaire calling and rushes out to meet her. Laoghaire says she flattered Simon and told him she admired a man who thought for himself, she even gave him a keek down her dress all to what appears is no avail.
Claire finds Jamie in the stables and they report on their successes and failures and the vision of Maisri though Jamie points out they do not know which King that executioner works for. Jamie fears he’ll have to give up Lallybroch.
Lord Lovat gathers everyone in the hall to tell them of his plan which is to take Lallybroch for the support or sign a neutrality pact with the MacKenzies. Jamie is about to sign when Claire flings down her drink and does a little seeing herself recounting the vision of Maisri as if it is her own. Lovat isn’t pleased though Claire adds there are white roses on the ground in the vision. Claire pretends to faint as Lovat rushes at her with a knife and Young Simon intervenes with Laoghaire’s approval. Simon then announces he’s going to war for the Stuarts, but Lovat chooses to sign the neutrality pact.
Jamie and Claire believe they are leaving defeated but with Young Simon. Jamie and Colum say their goodbyes and then Claire asks Jamie to go thank Laoghaire. He does it though he even tells her he doesn’t know what for. Jamie walks away and Laoghaire says someday she’ll earn his forgiveness and his love.
On their way to meet the prince, Jamie’s band meets up with a larger group who are Lovat men. Lovat then says he got what he wants which is if the Jacobite’s win he will claim he sent them along with his son and if they lose, he will claim protection under the neutrality pact. As Lovat rides off, Jamie hopes he’s nothing like Lovat, but Claire can’t say that because she’s seen “a similarly devious turn of mind.” Jamie’s rethinking this whole not lying to one another thing. The two ride off with Claire feeling like they can change things.
