He also seeks to shield Claire from the men’s bawdy humor while on the road. He goes out of his way to explain local customs to her and tells her not to interfere in what she doesn’t fully understand. Jamie continues to be attracted to Claire, while Claire seems to be somewhat oblivious to his attraction. Afterwards, Claire starts to joke with the Highlanders as some mutual respect is established. We can insult you, but God help any other man that does.” Both Claire and the Highlanders look somewhat abashed after Murtagh’s explanation. Murtagh explains the somewhat backwards chivalry, “You’re a guest of the MacKenzie.
She discovers they were defending her honor against the locals.
Claire and the men come to an uneasy truce after she binds their wounds following an inn fight. Only Jamie, and to a lesser extent Murtagh, seem not to take part in bawdier references to Claire. It’s obvious they are often speaking about her, and in an unflattering way. Love hate relationshipsĪngus seemed a bit rougher on Claire than usual, which may be payback for drugging him last week? The men go out of their way to exclude Claire by only speaking in Gaellic while on the road. As she tires to convince Ned Gowan of the folly it only incurs Dougal’s ire. She realizes from history that in three years time, thousands of Highlander warriors will die on Culloden Moor facing the British army, and after the battle thousands more civilians will die due to disease and starvation. Once she realizes that they are collecting for the Jacobite cause of bringing a Stewart back to rule, she tries to stop what she knows will end in disaster. Claire finds herself growing attached to the locals despite rough treatment at the hands of her captors.