The Outlandish Companion - Diana Gabaldon [11]
Soon enough, she finds her chance, and steals away while Jamie is occupied elsewhere. However, her attempt fails when she falls once more into the hands of a prowling Jack Randall and is taken to his inner sanctum in Fort William, where she discovers more than she wanted to know about the Captain’s recreational proclivities. This time, she is rescued by Jamie, who escapes with her from the fort while the other Scots create a diversion by blowing up the powder magazine.
During the angry confrontation that follows their escape, Claire learns that there is more to Jamie’s antipathy toward Randall than his recent behavior. She already knows that the scars on Jamie’s back were inflicted by Randall, who had taken the young Scotsman prisoner several years before. Now she learns that the vicious flogging was the result of Jamie’s refusal to yield his body to Randall, who gratifies his inclinations with the readiest victims: the Scottish prisoners under his control, who have no recourse or means of escape.
Returning, perforce, to Leoch, Claire does not give up searching for a way back to the stones—and Frank—but becomes increasingly aware of how wrenching such a return would be, tearing her away from the man she has come to love.
One small difficulty shows some hope of resolution, though; Colum—now secure in the knowledge that his nephew is no threat to his son Hamish’s chieftainship—offers to intercede for Jamie with an English noble of his acquaintance, the Duke of Sandringham. Perhaps, Colum thinks, the Duke could be induced to gain a pardon from the Crown for Jamie, removing the continuing danger of outlawry.
Arrangements are made for Jamie and Dougal to accompany the Duke on a hunting trip, where the delicate negotiations for a pardon might be accomplished.
As Jamie remarks wryly to Claire, “It goes against the grain a bit, to be pardoned for something I’ve not done, but it’s better than being hanged.”
Meanwhile, Claire has formed a friendship with the wife of the local Procurator Fiscal, a woman named Geillis Duncan, with whom she shares a knowledge of herbs and healing. But at a dinner to honor a visiting duke, the Fiscal dies—probably poisoned.
Rumors spread like wildfire, fueled with hysteria and superstition, and in Jamie’s absence Claire finds herself on trial for witchcraft, in company with Geillis Duncan. On the verge of condemnation, Claire discovers Geilie’s secret—she is pregnant, and clearly not by her impotent late husband. She is indeed a poisoner, if not a witch—but proves also a good friend; she creates a distraction that allows Jamie to rescue Claire.
Jamie and Claire flee from the castle on horseback, but once safely away he confronts her—he will love her forever, and stand by her no matter what, but for his own peace of mind, he must know—is she a witch?
Hysterical from her recent ordeal, Claire tells him that it’s much worse than that, and confesses the truth, explaining to him about the stones—and about Frank. Clearly not believing her, but shaken by her obvious emotion, Jamie takes her through the Highlands to the stone circle. The truth of her story proven by events in the circle, he says she must make her choice—to stay with him, or to go back to her husband in the future—and leaves her alone by the stones to decide.
Road to Lallybroch.
Agonizing through most of an afternoon, she finally stands, makes her way slowly toward the cleft stone that is her passage back to her own time—and then finds herself running the other way, stumbling and falling down the hillside, her body having decided what her mind cannot—running toward Jamie.
Reunited, Claire asks, “Do you really believe me, Jamie?”
He sighed, and smiled ruefully down at me.
“Aye, I believe ye, Sassenach. But it would ha’ been a good deal easier, if you’d only been a witch.”
With the truth clear between them, they make their way through the Highlands to Jamie’s home at Lallybroch, where