Outlander, Season 1, Episode 5: “Rent”

The official synopsis, courtesy of Starz:

Claire joins the MacKenzie rent-collecting trip. To her horror, Dougal uses Jamie’s scars to gain sympathy for the Jacobite cause. Claire recalls that a defining moment in Scottish history is fast approaching.

My synopsis:

First things first — this is not what this episode is about:

Okay then…

This episode opens with a simply breathtaking shot:

The MacKenzies are on the road, traveling through MacKenzie land to collect rent from the tenants. Claire sees this trip as her best option for escape, but she’s watched constantly (and also has no real idea of where she is), so running off seems unlikely. The landscapes throughout this episode are stunning.

Claire recites a John Donne poem as she gazes across the loch, and is joined by a spry older man, the lawyer Ned Gowan. He seems like a kindred spirit, someone a bit apart from the Highlander hooligans, and they bond over poetry and Claire’s treatment for Ned’s allergies.

The group sleeps in tents and tells bawdy stories around campfires, using Gaelic to exclude Claire. Jamie treats Claire with kindness, reassuring her that no one hates her (except maybe Angus, who hates everyone), and urging her to just chill and not take offense.

When they reach a village, Ned sets up a table to tally the rent, which includes not only coins, but bags of wheat, goats, and pigs. Dougal is chummy with all the villagers, and Claire gets bored and wanders off. She meets a group of women engaged in waulking wool — using “hot piss” to set the dye. This is an amazing scene, showing the production’s efforts to include cultural moments from the history of the Highlands.

The women sing as they work, and Claire joins in. (I couldn’t help worrying about her pretty dress!) Check out the song from the Outlander soundtrack:

There’s trouble, though. Angus is “pissed” (ha!) that Claire wandered off and drags her back to the men, who are preparing to move on. Claire is angry at her treatment and acts out, trying to return a goat given as rent to a family who needs the milk for their baby. As a major confrontation with Dougal ensues, a young man with an English accent approaches, asking if Claire needs assistance. He’s outnumbered by the clansmen, who send him packing. Later, we see him don a red coat — he’s an English officer.

In a tavern that night, Claire witnesses what will become a repeated events during their travels. Dougal gives an impassioned speech to the gathered villagers (in Gaelic, of course, so Claire has no idea what he’s saying). The climax comes when Dougal rips the shirt off Jamie’s back, displaying his horrifying scars to one and all — which inspired the people present to hand over coins to Dougal and Ned. Jamie looks upset. He hates being used that way. Claire is disgusted. From what she can see, Dougal is using Jamie’s back as a way to scare the people into paying protection money. Basically, she believes he’s stealing money and hiding it from Colum. Her opinion of Dougal and the rest of the MacKenzie group plummets.

At the next camping site, Claire continues to sit apart from the men, filled with anger. She refuses the food she’s handed, accusing the men of thievery, causing a meltdown by Angus. Claire is hurt and upset, and Jamie tries to calm her down, cautioning her not to judge what she doesn’t understand.

As the rent party continues on the road, they encounter the Watch — a group of Scots who extort money from people in order to protect them from Redcoats. Anyone who doesn’t pay up gets punished, like by having their houses burned down. Jamie makes himself scarce. Murtagh explains to Claire that since Jamie has a price on his head, if the Watch sees him and realize that he’s wanted, they’d turn him over in a second in order to get the reward.

Later, there’s a harrowing sight — two Highlanders crucified along the roadside with the letter T, for traitor, carved into their chests. Clearly, they’ve been killed by redcoats and left there as a warning sign. The group cuts the men down and buries them. At the next stop, when Dougal again launches into his speech and collects payment, Claire finally recognizes the Gaelic phrase for “Long Live the Stuart” — and realizes that Dougal isn’t a thief… he’s a Jacobite. Dougal is collecting money for the uprising aiming to restore the Stuarts to the throne.

Flashback: Claire remembers visiting the Culloden battlefield memorial with Frank, as he explains the battle of Culloden in 1746, which was a devastating defeat that essentially spelled the end of the Highlander clans and culture. As Claire looks again at her traveling companions, she realizes that the battle at Culloden is coming in only three years, and that all of these men could be slaughtered. She tries to warn Ned, telling him that the Rising will fail — but he responds coldly, telling her that it’s just her opinion.

Culloden memorial

The group sleeps at the tavern, and Claire finally has a room to herself, a change from sleeping out of doors. She hears a noise, goes to investigate, and trips over Jamie, who is sleeping on the floor outside her room. (2nd episode in a row where she trips over Jamie. These two are adorable.) He explains that the men are drunk and rowdy, and that after Dougal’s performance, Sassenachs like her aren’t exactly popular. Basically, he’s there to protect Claire. Awwwww. She tells him to at least sleep in her room, rather than in the hallway, and he’s aghast at the idea of sleeping in the same room as her because it would damage her reputation. Claire seems amused, and practically twinkles at him.

Next morning, there’s a huge brawl in the tavern. Turns out that a neighboring table of men have been talking trash about Claire, and her gang isn’t having it. They look like they’re having a blast during the fight. Claire patches up the scrapes and bruises, and is touched to realize they’ve been defending her. Later, she jokes with the men and seems to finally be accepted by them. Jamie looks pleased as punch to see Claire and the men laughing together.

Finally, at the next stop, Claire goes off to wash in the stream and Dougal follows her, again demanding to know her secrets. Ned has told Dougal about Claire’s predictions about the failure of the Jacobite cause, and Dougal’s suspicions about Claire are fired up all over again. In the midst of their confrontation, the redcoat they’d encountered earlier shows up, this time in full uniform and with a bunch of other men, all fully armed and on horseback. Lt. Foster asks Claire once more if she needs assistance. Dougal and Claire are surrounded, and all Dougal can do is wait to see how Claire will answer.

“Tell me madam – are you here by own your own choice?”

Close-up on Claire’s face and… scene! We end on a cliffhanger moment — will Claire stick with the MacKenzies, or will she ask to be rescued, which would surely result in violence for the men? Stay tuned!

Steam factor:

No actual steam in this episode, but there were sparks! Jamie seems to be taking on a protector role around Claire, keeping an eye out for her and reining her back in when she makes the men angry. He’s made it clear that he’ll keep her safe if it’s in his power to do so.

In the scene by Claire’s door, she hands him a blanket and their hands touch briefly — and yes, there was definitely some electricity in their connection at that moment.

Fashion statements:

Claire’s traveling coat is so lovely, and we also see her in this capelet (which has caused its own little fashion stir on Etsy and elsewhere):

Claire’s traveling clothes are simple yet beautiful, and her accessories include her fichu and more mitts (again, tons available on Etsy — this show has done wonders for crafters!):

We also get our first glimpse of Claire’s green pleated dress and the shawl she wears over it, which we’ll see a lot of in the next episode:

(For more on the amazing costumes of Outlander, I’d recommend checking out costume designer Terry Dresbach’s blog, http://www.terrydresbach.com).

Key points:

Major facts that the episode gets on the table:

• The Jacobite cause is heating up. The redcoats are abusive toward the Highlanders, and the resentment is growing.
• The Watch is a dangerous group. Cross them at your own peril.
• Claire is disturbed by her knowledge of the future, and fears what will happen to the people she’s come to know.
• Jamie is upset by how Dougal uses his scars for his own purposes, but remains obedient to his uncle for now.

Memorable lines:

Dougal to Claire: “Stop your havering, woman.”

Jamie to Claire: “What’s got into you, woman?”

Dougal in the tavern (in Gaelic): “Long live the Stuart!”

Jamie to Claire in the inn:

“Sleep in  your room? With you? I couldn’t do that. Your reputation would be ruined.”

Murtagh, after the brawl in the inn:

“You’re a guest of the MacKenzie. We can insult you. But God help any other man that does!”

Character impressions:

Once again, we see amazing character development for Dougal, who has quickly become one of the most fascinating characters on the show. Dougal is vulgar and funny with his men, telling bawdy tales around a fire. He’s warm toward the MacKenzie tenants, acknowledging each by name, with a personal comment for all. He’s a fierce orator, rousing group after group with tales of redcoat abuse, drumming up support for the Jacobite cause. He may be harsh and suspicious with Claire, but he has a tender side too, returning the wheat and other goods paid in rent by a village that had a bad year, making sure everyone can feed their families.

Claire doesn’t always come across in the best light in this episode. She’s allowing her prejudices and modern-day opinions to color her views of the men of the traveling party. They may be excluding her, but she’s also alienating them by being so judgmental and scornful. It’s Jamie who gives her the wake-up call she needs by cautioning her not to judge what she doesn’t understand. By the episode’s end, Claire seems more open toward viewing the good of these men, and in return, they begin to accept her as belonging to them.

This episode also introduces two fun characters, Ned Gowan and the young clansman, Willie. Both can be counted on to be entertaining whenever they pop up in future episodes.

Takeaway:

This is the first episode that really brought the politics of the Jacobite rebellion to the foreground, and the first episode (I believe) in which Claire directly tries to warn someone to change a course of action because of her knowledge of future events. It’s ironic that by the episode’s end, she seems to have begun to gain the trust of the men who disliked her at the start, while she’s also alienated the one person, Ned Gowan, who started out as an ally.

This episode also shows a growing connection between Claire and Jamie. Claire seems to realize that Jamie will help her if he can, and Jamie follows through on his promise from the very first episode to protect her. The attraction between the two remains unacknowledged, but it’s certainly there.

Final takeaway: Scotland is gorgeous.

Outlander, Season 1, Episode 4: “The Gathering”

The official synopsis, courtesy of Starz:

As the Castle prepares for The Gathering, Claire plots her escape. But after a dangerous encounter with a drunken Dougal and an unexpected run-in with Jamie, her plans are dashed.

My synopsis:

We open on a scene that seems fraught with peril. Claire is running through the woods, breathing hard, seemingly desperate. Is she in danger? Is someone pursuing her? Yes, there are pursuers — but they’re not at all dangerous. Claire is playing games with the castle children, rollicking through silly chases with them, laughing and making herself the center of attention. But does this mean that Claire has settled into castle life and accepts that she must stay there? Not a bit. She’s a smart cookie, that Claire. She’s using the forest games to learn the routes in and out of the castle, leave behind ribbons and other items to mark her path, and study the sentries’ habits and schedules. Claire is determined to escape Leoch once and for all, and figures that the Gathering will provide her with the best opportunity, while the men of Clan MacKenzie are busy and distracted.

Still, Claire can’t help but feel that she’ll miss the community and the people she’s come to know over the past several weeks, the “simple joy” she sees as the folks gather to share food, songs, and games, the pleasure they seem to take in spending time together.

Geillis shows up early for the Gathering, surprising Claire in her surgery and making a lot of pointed statements. It seems as though Geillis knows exactly what Claire is planning, and questions her without ever saying exactly what she means. Claire is on her toes around Geillis at this point and send her on her way, but this is yet more evidence that all eyes are on Claire.

Claire plans to run off while everyone is attending the Oath Taking, a formal ceremony during which each man present swears his allegiance to Colum as Laird of the clan. Claire’s plans are foiled by the doting (but interfering) Mrs. Fitz, who drags Claire off to get properly dressed and then takes her to watch the ceremony. Finally, Claire slips out (after dosing her guard Angus with port laced with valerian root, a sedative) and heads for the stables. Her plan is to steal a horse and escape under cover of night.

This does not go as planned. First, Claire encounters a group of drunk and randy Highlanders who want to have some fun with Claire. She’s not having it, and neither is Dougal, who comes along and kicks their butts. But Dougal is quite drunk as well, and after getting particularly handsy with Claire, she bops him over the head with a stool and makes her escape… only to trip over Jamie, who’s been sleeping in the stable in the hopes of lying low until the ceremony is all over.

Jamie talks reason to Claire. She’ll never make it, if she tries to escape. There are guards posted throughout the woods. She has absolutely no chance of getting away without being noticed, and if she’s caught escaping, her treatment as an honored member of the castle will change dramatically, and she’ll end up locked up as a prisoner. Claire is forced to recognize the futility of escape — for the moment — and agrees to return to the castle with Jamie as an escort, as it’s clearly not safe for her to be out alone while there are so many drunk and horny men out and about.

Alas, the two are found, and Jamie is bustled off to the castle to take his oath before Colum. No big deal, am I right? thinks Claire. Nope, she’s wrong. This place is just teeming with political machinations. As nephew to the Laird, if Jamie takes the oath, he’ll stand a good chance of being next in line to be Laird himself, which would not sit well with Dougal and Colum. But if he refuses to take the oath, it’s a huge insult, and the MacKenzie men will have his blood. Basically, he’s screwed. Either way, he ends up dead.

Not to worry – Jamie can maneuver with the best of ’em. When Jamie gets to the front of the line, he tells Colum that he cannot make a pledge to him, as his loyalty is already given to the clan whose name he bears. But, he can offer friendship, and swears to be obedient to Colum and to serve the MacKenzies as long as he is on MacKenzie land. After a tense moment with lots of hands hovering over sword hilts, Colum smiles and drinks with Jamie. Whew! That was a close one.

The next morning, a large group heads into the forest for a boar hunt. Claire is brought along, because boars have very sharp tusks and the skills of a healer are likely to be needed. And they are. A man named Geordie is gored by a charging boar, and at first Claire thinks he’s treatable so long as she tourniquets the leg — but then she sees the blood on his shirt and looks beneath to see that his stomach has been ripped open as well. It’s fatal, she tells Dougal — and in a moment of surprising tenderness, Dougal holds the dying man in his arms, talking to him and giving him comfort until he passes. It’s a rare bonding moment for Dougal and Claire.

On returning to the castle, Dougal works off his rage over the loss of his friend by jumping into a very lively (and dirty) shinty game. This is one of my favorite action sequences in Outlander — check it out:

Finally, Dougal visits Claire in her surgery and praises her help with Geordie. He tells her that he leaves the next morning to travel through the MacKenzie lands to collect the quarterly rents, and he’s bringing her with him, as it will be good to have a healer along. Once again, Claire’s hopes rise — away from the castle, on the road for weeks, will she finally have the escape opportunity she’s been looking for?

Cameo Alert!

Author Diana Gabaldon and show creater Ron Moore each had cameos in this episode, and Diana even had a brief speaking part. They both looked fab all done up in period costume:

Steam factor:

This episode was pretty low on the steam factor, unless you count Angus and Rupert pulling straws to determine who gets first crack at the lovely wench stirring the pot of soup.

Fashion statements:

Once again, gorgeousness abounds! Can we just talk about the awesomeness that is Geillis? Her look changes so greatly from scene to scene, but you can always tell that she’s in control, but never just part of a crowd. First, she looks practically perfect as a presentable, proper wife of an important man, during the scene in which she visits Claire in the surgery:

But at the Gathering, her hair is down, and she’s wearing this amazing, flowing dress that sets her apart from the crowd even while not straying too far from what’s acceptable. All that, and a sly little hint of Jacobite loyalties, too — that brooch on her shoulder features a painting of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s eye.

Claire certainly look beautiful in her pretty party clothes:

And even Mrs. Fitz gets dolled up for the special occasion!

And as the riding party leaves in the final moments of the episode, Claire has yet another new garment. Check out the fancy fur on her traveling cloak! (Jamie looks pretty dashing too, with the jaunty angle of his cap.)

Key points:

Major facts that the episode gets on the table:

• Clan politics is serious business that can get you dead.
• Jamie is Dougal and Colum’s nephew, and if not officially a MacKenzie, he at least has the MacKenzie talent for manipulation and maneuvering one’s enemies.
• Dougal’s drunken pawing at Claire seems to reveal an unacknowledged desire on his part for the lovely Englishwoman. Claire had better watch herself around him.
• Healing in the Highlands gets pretty intense, and boars are deadly.
• Murtagh always has Jamie’s back.

Memorable lines:

Laoghaire asks Claire for a love potion, something to “open a lad’s heart to a lassie”. The kissing part is going fine, for sure, but she needs help “moving his heart forward.”

Claire is in too big of a rush to worry about Laoghaire, and gives her a concoction of horse dung, telling Laoghaire to sprinkle it near the man she wants, click her heels together three times, and chant:

“There’s no place like love, there’s no place like love… “

Gaellis’s matter-of-fact storytelling seems to contain a warning for Claire:

“The Highlands are no place for a woman to be alone.”

Character impressions:

With each episode, we see more and more sides of Dougal. Here, he’s the loyal brother at the side of his chief, but he’s also a political mastermind who isn’t afraid of a little murder if that’s what it takes to hold onto power. He’s never shown any tenderness toward Claire before, but between his drunken fumbling and his reluctant acknowledgement of her help with the dying man, we get the sense that he wants her and that he sees her as valuable.

Takeaway:

Claire still wants to escape and return to Frank more than anything, but she has also adapted quite a bit to her new surroundings and has carved out a place of respect for herself. Her friendships and entanglements with the Highlanders will be complications if she wants to see her plans through and get away.

Outlander, Season 1, Episode 3: “The Way Out”

The official synopsis, courtesy of Starz:

Claire decides to use her medical skills to aid her escape from Castle Leoch – with Jamie’s help, she tends to an ill child. During an evening’s entertainment, a story gives Claire hope for her freedom.

My synopsis:

We open on a train platform in the 1940s, as Claire and Frank, dressed in uniforms, say good-bye. It’s a typical wartime scene, except Claire is the one heading to the front. As the train pulls away, they share one last kiss, and Frank asks Claire to promise to return to him. “I will, Frank Randall. I promise.”

Quick-cut to the 1740s, and Claire is in Castle Leoch, once again being fussed over by Mrs. Fitz, who washes her hair and admires her purty skin. Claire is moved to confess the truth to Mrs. Fitz: Her husband isn’t dead. He hasn’t been born yet. Claire has fallen through time. She describes her journey through the stones and her need to return. Mrs. F. understands Claire’s meaning all right — she’s a witch! Slap!

But no, it was all a dream, and Claire realizes that she can never share her secret with Mrs. Fitz or anyone else at Leoch. Mrs. F. tells Claire that a big Gathering is taking place soon at Castle Leoch, during which the people of Clan MacKenzie come from all over to swear fealty to the Laird. It’ll be a big affair with tons of people, and they’re sure to need a skilled healer. Mrs. F. advises Claire to get in Colum’s good graces through her “physicking”, and Claire decides that perhaps if she’s successful at treating the illnesses and wounds of Colum’s people, he’ll be more inclined to treat her with kindness and allow her to leave. (Yeah, right…)

Claire sets up the surgery, sorting through all the odds and ends left behind by her predecessor (icky wood lice and ant eggs among the treasure trove) and finding some useful herbs and powders that she can use. Angus and Rupert are assigned to watch her pretty much round the clock, although they find her medical business horribly boring and tend to sneak off to the kitchen to drink whenever possible.

Claire finds out that a young boy has died, supposedly killed by demons after playing at the “black kirk”. Uh oh! Mrs. Fitz’s nephew Thomas was good friends with the boy who died. Young Thomas summons Claire to Colum’s chambers, where the Laird is busy terrorizing a tailor whose work was not up to standards. Colum then asks Claire to massage him in order to relieve the pain he experiences from his deformed legs. Claire complies, and the two share a less tense moment than they have so far. In gratitude for her skilled hands, Colum invites Claire to be his guest in the hall that night to hear a visiting singer.

Bad tailoring = knife at your throat.

At the hall, Claire hangs out with Laoghaire and tries to encourage the girl in her crush on Jamie, but Jamie isn’t especially kind to the poor girl, focusing on chatting with Claire instead. Claire has a bit too much of the Rhenish again and Jamie sees her safely back to her room in the surgery. Claire insists on checking on Jamie’s wound, and there’s a heated energy between the two as she stands very close to him to untie his stock and unbutton his shirt. Sparks and sizzle!

The next day, Claire and Geillis are picking herbs in the garden, and Claire hears that young Thomas is possessed by the same demon that killed the other boy. Father Bane is going to perform an exorcism! Claire is horrified, and Geillis tries to warn Claire away from interfering, but to no avail — Claire scurries off to the village and demands to treat the boy, earning herself a fierce enemy in the affronted Father Bane. The priest is a scary dude, forcefully splashing holy water all over the sick boy while Claire watches with dismay.

Back at the castle, Claire happens to see Jamie and Laoghaire stealing a kiss in the corner of the kitchen. Jamie sees Claire watching and gives her a look before diving back in for another kiss. Claire can’t help teasing Jamie about it over dinner later. It’s pretty hilarious, but Murtagh warns Claire off, saying that if Colum or Laoghaire’s father were to find out, Jamie could find himself stuck with a wife, and Laoghaire’s definitely not the wife he should have. (Well, obviously!)

Dougal offers to take Claire to the village with him in the morning to see Geillis so she can stock up on herbs and powders before the Gathering. Geillis’s workroom is half distillery, half witch’s lair, with potions brewing and a fire in the fireplace that backlights her just so — a slightly hellish symbolism, perhaps? A rabble gathers in the street as a young boy is dragged in for justice by — who else? — Father Bane. The boy is accused of stealing, but Geillis uses her feminine wiles to convince her husband, the judge in such matters, to be lenient. The boy is sentenced to an hour in the pillory and to have one ear nailed, which is just as gross as it sounds. Claire is again horrified by the local customs, and Geillis makes pretty clear that she knows that Claire is hiding secrets about where she came from and who she really is.

Jamie comes to bring Claire back to the castle, rescuing her from Geillis’s prying, and Claire convinces Jamie to help her free the boy while she distracts the crowd. After pulling this off, she asks for more help — they visit the ruins of the Black Kirk, and Claire realizes that the possessed boy was poisoned by a plant that grows there. Claire to the rescue! She bursts into the boy’s sickroom and provides an antidote, earning the love and devotion of Mrs. F and her family and the eternal hatred of Father Bane.

Once again listening to the singer that evening, Jamie translates a song for Claire, all about a woman who traveled through stones on a fairy hill to a time not her own, spent years there, but finally came back to her own husband. It’s an extremely literal version of Claire’s story, which made me laugh, but Claire took it to mean that others had been through her experience before and made it back to their own time.

By the end of the episode, Claire is more determined than ever to escape the castle and find a way back to the standing stones.

Steam factor:

Some intense looks were shared by Jamie and Claire as she opened his shirt to check his wounds. Can you say sexual tension? Claire may be too consumed with the need to get back to Frank to pay too much attention just yet, but Jamie sees to be very much aware of Claire’s awesomeness.

There’s also the Jamie/Laoghaire kiss, but let’s pretend that never happened, shall we?

Fashion statements:

So many gorgeous outfits in this episode! Mrs. Fitz seems to have a never ending supply of pretty lady clothes, as Claire looks terrific in every scene, dressed in lovely dark colors that set off her beautiful skin and rich brown hair.

Geillis takes the prize for this episode, though, with that crazy furry top of hers (that she seems to keep petting)…

… not to mention those amazing red shoes.

Key points:

Major facts that the episode gets on the table:

• Do not judge Colum MacKenzie’s appearance or try to cover up his legs. He’ll shiv ya.
• Geillis is sly and manipulative, and seems to know an awful lot about Claire. Claire had better watch out around that one.
• Jamie and Claire seem to be clicking. They have an easy connection and trust between them already.
• Laoghaire seems like a lovestruck girl so far.
• Murtagh is protective of Jamie, and make no mistake about it.
• The Gathering, in the next episode, will be a big deal.
• Claire’s healing skills are earning her the respect of the MacKenzie brothers, but this only makes them less willing to let her leave.
• Father Bane is not an enemy you want to have, Claire. Watch out.

Memorable lines:

Father Bane: “I smell the vapors of hell on you.”

Claire’s teasing of Jamie at dinner, after witnessing the kiss:

“Your lip looks a little swollen, Jamie. Did you get thumped by a horse? […] Those fillies can be dangerous.”

And Murtagh’s reprimand to Claire:

“That’s no the wife he should have. He needs a woman, not a lassie. And Laoghaire will be a girl until she’s fifty.”

Jamie, after freeing the boy nailed to the pillory:

“Ye wouldn’t expect me to be less bold than a wee Sassenach lassie, would ye?”

After an evening of drinking way too much wine:

Claire: “Are you implying that I’m intoxicated?”   Jamie: “I’d be impressed if ye weren’t.”

Character impressions:

Claire is making a name for herself as a healer, and although she doesn’t want to stay there, it seems as though she’s adapting to life in the castle and getting some satisfaction from being useful and doing what she’s good at. She seems to have earned herself a loyal supporter in Mrs. Fitz, but she’s also gaining enemies, and that’ll come back to bite her.

We see more sides of Jamie, who lets Claire learn a bit more about his background (he seems to want her to know that he’s an educated man, not just a roughneck). Jamie’s appears to be attracted to Claire, but he’s also a healthy young man, and with Laoghaire throwing herself at him, I suppose we can forgive Jamie for sneaking kisses.

Colum has a streak of violence that’s perhaps less obvious than Dougal’s, but he certainly knows how to threaten without ever raising his voice.

Takeaway:

Claire hasn’t made much progress in gaining the MacKenzies’ trust, but she is establishing herself as a lady and a healer and has earned some grudging respect. Her high hopes of escape seem like a pipe dream, though, but Claire isn’t one to give up easily.