Willie’s injuries are healed and he’s bouncing along on his horse and Jupiter(!) he has reached Ft. Ticonderoga which is now in the hands of the English. (Note: Facebook, please stop sending me ads for Ft. Ticonderoga! Just because I’m writing about it, doesn’t mean I can visit even though I’d like to!) Willie reports to the pompous General Simon Fraser who unbeknownst to him is his kinfolk (cousin or uncle). He’d know this if he’d spit it into a tube and mailed it off to Ancestry. He’d learn a lot of other things too now that I think about it.
Jamie, Claire, Ian, Rachel, Denzell, Rollo and the others have escaped by water from Ft. Ticonderoga and reached land. Jamie says if any of them can’t walk, he’ll carry them. Cough. Cough. I believe I’ve twisted my ankle. :) Rachel is trying to reassure the poor nervous lady that Ian is not a savage who will kill them. Dr. Claire tells Jamie, the people are tired and need to rest. They hear war cries nearby but discover they are actually Redcoats who are trying to trick them. The nervous lady takes off and Claire goes after her and when has Claire running off into the woods ever turned out well? The nervous lady kills herself and the Redcoats grab Claire. Jamie finds out Claire has been taken and he gets that savage/sexy look on his face.
Roger goes to Jemmy’s school to discuss the corporal punishment (physical violence) they delivered to Jemmy. The principal discovers Roger speaks Gaidlhig and asks him to teach it to the community after school. Roger takes the job.
Claire is put in a minimum security jail and asks/orders the young redcoat guard to bring them water. She intimidates the crap out of him and he quickly goes to fetch it. She sees the handsome Walter Woodcock sitting on the ground, his wound is healing but he’s having trouble breathing. She thinks he may have an embolism. Willie reports to Captain Richardson and explains his horse (Jupiter!) threw him and he lost the messages.
Claire continues doctoring the prisoners and intimidating the British officers. She stops an officer to ask for help and he turns out to be Lord Ellesmere, Jamie’s son. He recognizes her, introduces himself and when she asks for food he tells her that even the British don’t have any for themselves. Lt. Sandy Hammond arrives with bandages, herbs and supplies for her hospital via Lord Ellesmere. Young Willie sent her a full flask too and that right there is how we know he’s Jamie’s son so we can cancel the Spit Test.
Brianna tells Roger she felt the buzzing of the Stones in the tunnel under the dam. The absent-minded professor has forgotten to leave for the class he is teaching. He arrives at class wearing his kilt and comes to life in front of his students. Roger is in his element and is a natural born teacher-preacher. He teaches them a song and I wish I could recruit him for my community chorus because dude has some major pipes. Roger agrees to continue to teach. Rob Cameron who’s in the class introduces himself. Unfortunately, Roger passed out his “Hitchhiker’s Guide’ and Cameron read it. Cameron weedles an invitation to dinner.
Claire does everything she can for him, but Walter is not doing well. Claire shares Willie’s booze with Walter and asks about his wife as he’s dying just as she spoke of home to the MacKenzie man who was gored by a wild bore at the Leoch Gathering in Season 1.
Ian convinces Jamie that its safer if Ian infiltrates Ticonderoga to rescue Claire as he’s an Indian Scout and can blend better than a 6’ 4” redhead. Claire sees Ian at the well, Willie shows up and he thanks Ian in a most gallant way. Unfortunately William looks at Claire and puts 2 and 2 together. Jamie shoots fiery arrows at the British which causes total mayhem as Claire & Ian plead for William to let them go and he finally does. Claire and Ian reunite with Jamie in the forest. Claire tells Jamie she saw Willie.
A few days later, Jamie, Claire and Ian meet back up with the Continental Army. Rachel and Ian practically glow with happiness at being reunited and they make goo goo eyes at each other like they’re at a high school dance rather than in the middle of a war zone. Jamie is supposed to be discharged in a day but Col. Daniel Morgan talks him into staying as a rifleman/sniper. Soon they will be heading to Saratoga. Jamie and Claire discuss why women don’t start wars. Claire thinks having the ability to create life makes it harder to end it. (I can’t remember if that’s in the books, but it’s a wonderful line so brava to whomever wrote it.) Claire tells Jamie about William and it’s just so sweet.
Back at Lallybroch, Roger’s putting groceries away when he sees a man outside the window. He chases him, catches him and punches him out. I’m not a spoilery gal, so I’m not going to say who it is, but I’m glad he punched him. I want to punch him too.
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