Claire and the Highlanders are sent north after the Jacobite leaders decide to halt their march on London. A band of redcoats makes trouble for the Scots, leading to a most unexpected reunion for Claire.
Vengeance Is Mine opens in camp where Claire is pulling the teeth of the locals and the soldiers while Rupert looks on and reminisces about Angus and his missing front teeth.
In the war council, O’Sullivan and Murray are recommending retreat because the Jacobite support they were expecting, in the Lowlands of Scotland and Northern England, has yet to show up. They are only days from taking London but they are expecting three armies waiting for them in London and they don’t seem to have the resources to accomplish the goal.
Side Note: Apparently, in reality they were informed there was a large army mass between them and London at this point. In actuality there was no such army between the Jacobites and England. The informant was a spy for the English.
Charles is understandably upset his advisors want to turn back to Edinburgh for the winter instead of finishing this fight and taking London. Charles wants to know if there are none among them who will fight for him and God and Jamie pledges his sword. Charles tells the others he feels betrayed and then damns them to hell for their retreat.
Jamie apologizes to Claire, presumably because he’s been unable to change history. Ross asks Jamie if it is true they are turning back and Jamie puts a positive spin saying they are returning home for winter, promising to see his men home to Lallybroch. Rupert doesn’t seem overjoyed.
Jamie promises to see Claire safe no matter what happens.
In their lodgings, Jamie says a prayer over Claire in Gaelic:
God, shield my beloved, my white dove, and the child that she may one day bear. Preserve her from violence and from harm, in this place and every place, on this night and on every night.
Claire wakes and asks what he was saying but Jamie doesn’t share. She says he will tell her while she sleeps so in her dreams she’ll know the truth of his words.
The next morning, Dougal arrives with orders for Jamie to take his men and go north to Inverness but Dougal manages to include himself with Jamie who is being exiled from the Princes side. Oh and to add insult to injury Charles took Jamie’s horse. They are charged with getting provisions without money.
On the road; Jamie, Claire, Dougal and the crew head north stopping by a stream for Ross to have a splinter removed. Rupert tells Ross he’s being a baby that Angus would have removed it with his front teeth. Fergus remarks Angus has no front teeth and Rupert says he’d have used his gums.
Suddenly a man goes down and the English are shooting at them. The command to scatter to the woods is given and everyone parts company as Jamie yells to meet at the crossroads.
Jamie, Claire, Fergus, Dougal, Murtagh and Rupert are on the run with the English in hot pursuit. Suddenly, Rupert is struck in the eye by a musket ball (Holy God!) and looks as though he’s about to fall off his horse. Dougal comes to the rescue jumping to Rupert’s horse and hauling him back onto the running beast.
The group makes it to a small church where they must stop so Claire can tend to Rupert, or he’ll die. Jamie investigates the church finding Ross and other Lallybroch men hiding inside. They all take shelter there hoping to wait out the English while Claire removes the musket ball from Rupert’s eye socket and fixes him up like a pirate but all too soon the English find them. There isn’t much they can do as it is likely the English will fire the thatch roof to force them out. Jamie is willing to give himself up and in a truly awesome moment, Dougal tells Jamie to stop being such a hero.
In an inspiring move, Claire screams out for help making the English believe Claire is a hostage to the Highlanders. Claire knows the only way to save them all is to play the English hostage and exchange herself for the men’s freedom. Jamie wants none of this plan but Claire invokes her role as Lady Broch Turach and telling Jamie the Lallybroch men are her responsibility as well. Can’t argue with her there buddy.
Dougal goes outside and lays down terms for an exchange, giving Claire’s name as Mistress Beauchamp, before returning to the church. Jamie tells Claire she’s a terrible liar and Fergus suggests she pretend to faint so she doesn’t have to tell her story yet. Jamie wants to be the one to carry the faulty fainted Claire out to the Redcoats but Dougal reminds him he’s Red Jamie and they will likely break their exchange to capture him. Claire is carried out to an Englishman who takes her to a nearby tree to recover, while the men throw down their arms and Jamie continues to hide out in the church.
After the English leave with Claire, Jamie comes out planning to follow on his own by Murtagh argues he’s going with Jamie and Dougal is on his side. Dougal tells Jamie to get their lass back safe and Rupert wants Jamie to give her a wink for him. Everyone there respect Claire for her giving herself up to save them.
Claire is taken to Crich and the tavern (Ram’s Head Tavern) whereupon she sees a wanted poster for Jamie before she is taken inside and given a seat before the fire. The next morning, Claire is informed she’s going to Belmont rather than the garrison at Hazelmart which means Jamie will be looking for her in the wrong place. As she’s leaves the tavern she runs into Hugh Munro who saw her come in the night before and intentionally makes a bit of a scene to get close to Claire. Hugh is man handled by Lieutenant Barnes and Claire protests, then questioning the man on why she’s being taken to Belmont. As soon as Claire is on her way so is Hugh who is off to find Jamie and relay the Claire’s destination.
Claire comes to Belmont which is housing a garrison on its grounds much to her dismay. Inside she find the lord of the manor is none other than the Duke of Sandringham. Sandringham plays along with Claire’s ruse and then proceeds to tell her he’s been to the Tower of London and now he’s being held at Belmont under house arrest. He wants to help Claire get a message to Jamie and in return he wants Jamie to free him from confinement (can I just say that whole explanation seemed sketchy from the get go. Just stay there and act the loyal subject and you likely won’t be hanged for treason.) The Duke wants Claire to pen a note to Jamie, which he can smuggle out of the house, telling him about the Englishmen surrounding Belmont house. Claire tells Sandringham to get the message to Hugh Munro who will be able to get the message to Jamie.
Mary enters the scene and Claire is told the Duke is her Godfather. Mary drags Claire off to the cellar where she tells her she’s being forced to marry some Englishman who likely just wants to be in the Duke’s good graces. Claire informs Mary she has a plan that might just make her betrothal a moot point.
In the woods, rider is looking for Munro and a man gives him directions (honestly this seemed pointless) then man then sees Munro slinking off into the woods and goes after him. Munro gets the better of him but takes the message.
Inside, Claire is waiting to talk to Sandringham about Mary’s betrothal which Sandringham says is impossible to get out of. He then tells Claire the commander has agreed to withdrawal the soldiers because after all he’s still a Duke. (Red flag Claire!) Claire then notices Sandringham man has a birthmark on his hand exactly like the man who attacked them on the road. Claire questions the Duke and Sandringham confessed he hired Danton in Paris. Sandringham gets upset because Claire recognizes Danton.
Sandringham then tells her he owed the Comte St. Germain a lot of money and rather than having Claire killed, Sandringham convinced the Comte to just have her raped (how nice). He never had any intention of killing her. Claire threatens him with Jamie but Sandringham reveals he’s as bad as we think he is because the reason the garrison commander withdrew the soldiers was to lure Red Jamie into a trap. This way his loyalties will no longer in question. He then has Danton lock Claire in her room.
Meanwhile, Munro finds Jamie and delivers Claire’s message which is in Gaelic though a poor version of it. It takes them a moment but Jamie and Murtagh figure out Claire’s warning about the soldiers and that she’s at Belmont house.
Claire is pacing back in forth in said room observing Hugh out the window when Mary unwittingly comes to her rescue. Mary wants to leave with Claire and she says she’ll go out the back while Mary goes out the front to find Hugh and warn him that this is a trap and Jamie shouldn’t come near the house. Mary isn’t keen on the idea of meeting a beggar and Claire leaves her in the room while she makes her way downstairs and into the kitchen. Unfortunately, that happens to be where Sandringham is getting a bite to eat. He compels her to sit with him (likely so he doesn’t call out to the English).
Sandringham is questioning Claire about the Comte’s death as he wants the details. Claire views the knife behind the Duke and goes for “food” but the Duke beats her to it. Mary comes into the kitchen and Sandringham is put out by her presence sending her back to her room with food. Mary realizes something is up and goes to the front door as planned where a Redcoat is waiting though Hugh takes that moment to knock the Redcoat over the head. Mary quickly tells him Claire is in the kitchen and to tell Jamie it is a trap.
Danton appears wondering where Mary is getting off to. Mary threatens to tell the Duke how Danton is manhandling her.
Jamie and Murtagh take out a Redcoat as the make their way into Belmont while Claire is still enduring the rumors of the Comte’s death. Danton enters to tell the Duke about Mary’s attempted escape to which is stutters about not wanting to marry Mr. Granger and again Sandringham sends her to bed though she doesn’t get far as Jamie burst into the kitchen.
Danton holds a knife to Claire’s throat and Jamie drops his weapon so Claire isn’t harmed. Murtagh enters behind Danton and when Danton turns Claire elbows him in the stomach and then Jamie has him. Claire calls out that Danton is the man who attacked them in Paris and Mary looks stunned.
Danton tells Jamie Sandringham made him do it and Claire tells Jamie it is the truth that Sandringham did it to pay off a debt to the Comte. The Duke tries to defend himself saying he only wanted to scare the women that he wouldn’t countenance something as vulgar as a rape but Claire says that is a lie and that rape was his idea.
Jamie tells the Duke he’s say anything to save his own skin and the Duke says it stops today. Jamie looks like he’s going to spare the Duke but instead he’s handing him over to Murtagh.
Mary is holding a knife and looking rather dazed. She steps forward, as Danton tries to gain his feet, and stabs him. Claire calls out to her but Murtagh then takes the opportunity to violently chop the Duke’s head off. Murtagh puts the head of the Duke at Mary and Claire’s feet telling him he kept his word and he’s laying their vengeance at their feet. Claire nods to him and Mary suggests they leave.
All go out the back leaving a bloody mess behind.
