Lieutenant Jeremy Foster asks Claire if she is there by her
own choice, and although she hesitates, she does admit that she is the guest of
the Clan McKenzie. He accepts her answer, but asks that she meet with his
commander. Claire cannot refuse. She felt a heaviness leave her breast some,
and she was back among her people. She felt liberated to be looked on with
pity, instead of hostility. She knew what Dougal was feeling as they rode with
the Red Coats. Into the Garrison keep they ride. Lieutenant Jeremy Foster
orders his men to see to their own horse, and leads Claire and Dougal inside.
The Commander is happy to meet Claire Beecham and Dougal. He’s happy to see a
lovely English Rose in Scotland, and brings a lovely array of dining options,
and even makes Dougal McKenzie welcome. Dougal is his normal gruff self, and
his accent is not taken well. They find his brogue offensive to their ear,
stupid petty English ears. Claire reminds them that people in parts of England
have different dialects, many hard to understand. The tension mounts between
the Commander and Dougal, but the Commander tries to make light of the
situation, poking more fun at Dougal and his kilt. Claire puts an end to the
fight, but the Commander continues his pettiness, claiming there to be no room
at the table. Dougal leaves, preferring the company in the taproom, and Claire
sits through a delightful dinner. She’s had a most delightful adventure. She
admits that her stay hasn’t been all that unpleasant, but she wishes to reunite
with her family. He tells the Lieutenant to escort her to Inverness, and which
would be just a hope and a skip away from Clagh na Dun. Captain Jack Randall
crashes the dinner party, and he recognizes Claire for but a moment, but both
parties claim to not know each other. The Commander introduces the pair, and he
explains the reason for his barging in. The Captain reports that Clan Chief Dougal
is downstairs, and he already knows that. Randall asks why a Clan Chief would
be with an English woman, but they’ve already heard that tale. The Commander
suggests that the Captain escort her to Inverness so that she can regale him of
her tales. The Captain presses, trying to point out the Scottish savagery.
Although his tale is horrific, Claire has her own crucifixion tale, that is
worse. Randall casts more doubts towards Claire, and her possibly sharing her
bed with Dougal. The Commander is puzzled to hear her sympathy lies with the
Scots, and Randall suggests that she’s been with the savages for too long. A soldier
comes in claiming that a trio of Englishmen have been attacked, the surgeon is
no where to be found, and Claire offers to go and help. Dougal makes sure that
Claire is okay. His men weren’t responsible for the attack, and really it doesn’t
matter at the moment as she gets to work. The surgeon arrives in time to saw
off a man’s arm, and leave Claire with more dreams of death.
Claire returns from saving lives to find only Captain Randall
getting a close shave. Claire remembers giving her doppelganger husband a much
sexier shave. He trusted her with the straight blade relic that had been in the
family for a long time, probably the same blade being used now. The young
soldier cuts Randall, and he demonstrates his steady hand on the young soldier.
Shave time is over, and the poor boy probably needs a change. Claire asks for
Lieutenant Foster, but he too is gone. Looks like Claire won’t be leaving today
for Inverness. He agreed to her leaving before hearing her troubling
statements. Randall admits that since their first encounter, she’s haunted his
dreams. He wishes to apologize, and the mere memory leads him to shame. The
apology gives her pleasure, and he looks forward to revealing his true nature.
It’s all puppy dogs and kittens between the two. The pair both call for honesty
in equal doses, and Randall opens up the questioning, asking where she’s from.
Claire claims Oxfordshire, but Randall knows of no Beechams in Oxfordshire. She
points out that he’s hardly an expert, hailing from Sussex. He asks if she
speaks from French, and she does. He implies that she’s a prostitute, though
she does not look like one. He then asks her maiden name, but she does not
answer, but rather pleas that she is not a threat, and only wishes to continue
her journey in peace. He first found her in the forest in her undergarments and
was struck down by a Scottish man, one of Dougal’s. She is either a trollop or
a traitor. Neither options are good ones. She spins a tale of a love stationed
in Scotland that she followed, only to find out that he was unworthy of her,
being a rapist and whoremonger. When she refused him, he attacked her, causing
her to flee in only her shell. She hopes that Randall would prove to be a
gentleman and not pry any further. Randall does not answer at first, he takes a small blade to sharpen a writing
stick, asking the man’s name. Claire does not give it, and she goes to look to
see what he is writing. He’s taken down her likeness, calling it beautiful
lies. He plans to use Claire to gather information on Dougal and his Jacobite
cause. Claire tells him that she knows nothing, but Randall does not believe
her. She refuses to submit further interrogation, willing to wait under guards
for Commander Thomas. Randall warns her against leaving. She knows his methods
well, Jamie’s back in her mind. Randall remembers the poor highlander boy that she
speaks of, and tells the tale of how he received 100 lashes without making a
sound, that Dougal was there to see it all. And since he took the first
punishment with little effect, he would administer another 100 himself. Jamie
shook but remained cocky, and Randall promised to break him. He claimed that it
was hard for him to bring the whip down on the already mangled flesh, and that
he promised to pace himself, but Jamie refused to cry out. His flesh tore more,
blood spilled everywhere, and still Jamie did not make a sound. He refused to
beg for mercy. Randal himself could barely stand, and Jamie was practically unconscious.
He never once said a word, and even his soldiers could take no more. One
fainted, and the crowd laughed, earning him more of Randall’s scorn. The crowd
began to look away in horror, as Randall went for bone. He saw the beauty in
the flesh, the truth. Jamie and he were creating a masterpiece of exquisite
bloody proportions. He promised a reveal, and he revealed a far more sadistic
side than Claire was expecting. He came to Scotland to serve his King and
protect his country, and he finds himself the protector of ignorant people,
with hatred and darkness taking root in his soul, growing. This is the man that
her husband hails from. Claire knows how war can affect men, and the fact that
he sees it gives her hope that he can still be a good man. Randall isn’t so
sure. He cannot undo the things that he’s done, but he can win back his
humanity if he wishes, she believes. The rehabilitation of Black Jack Randall,
is a long road, one that could start with him escorting her to Inverness, but
with a punch to the gut, that’s not likely to happen ever. He’s a creature of
darkness, he enjoys it, and he plans to get the truth. He asks his corporal if
he’s ever kicked a woman, that its freeing, and invites him to kick the downed
Claire. The corporal can’t muster a good kick, until he’s pushed. Women are
soft, Randall says, and tells the Corporal to do it again. Dougal bursts
through the door, and picks Claire up. Soldiers hold them by gunpoint, but
Dougal plans to take his guest back. Randall has few choices, he can either let
them go or start a war. Randall gives him the night to get her to the Fort,
otherwise they will be hunted down and killed. Dougal and Claire ride back to
the clan at a gallop.
Claire was close to passing out when Dougal pulled them to a
halt. She looked like she needed a drink. Dougal asks her again if she is a spy
for the English or the French. Claire tells him again that she is no spy, and
Dougal sheaths his blade. If she lied, he would have had to use the blade. She
asks why he believed her this time. She drank from the Liar’s Spring. If she
had been lying, her gizzards would have sizzled. She’s certainly no spy, and
moreover, Dougal has a plan so that she doesn’t have to appear at Fort William.
If she’s no longer an Englishwoman, she doesn’t have to go. She just needs to
marry a Scot.
Claire tells Jamie Dougal’s plan, and he’s not opposed to it.
She’s mended his wounds plenty, and he doesn’t want her to fall into Randall’s
hand. Claire wonders if there is someone else, but Jamie finds her a good
prospect, and with a price on his head a less shiny one. She asks if it bothers
him that she isn’t a virgin, and he tells her it doesn’t as long as it doesn’t
bother her that he is one. Atleast one of them will be going in.
