One big Jamie storyline in Outlander’s seventh book causes misunderstandings and much pain to Claire but also reintroduces Fergus & Marsali.
Outlander season 7, episode 3 introduced Claire and Jamie’s journey to Scotland, but Outlander’s seventh book also described their return to America, in which Marsali has a hand while simultaneously and unintentionally setting up a big Jamie book story. Fergus and Marsali’s move to New Bern was established in Outlander season 6 as a way to keep Fergus busy to let him heal, along with a bigger town for Henri-Christian to live in, as Fraser’s Ridge proved dangerous with the children attempting at his life believing his dwarfism to be demonic. Although Outlander described their life to have improved, Marsali eventually needs Claire’s expertise in An Echo in the Bone.
Outlander season 7, episode 3 sets up Fraser’s Ridge as the place Jamie and Claire consider home, even if Jamie’s proposal to travel back to Scotland to keep his promise to Jenny distances them from North Carolina. Still, Jamie’s idea to travel to Scotland also had much to do with his desire not to meet his son on opposing sides of a battlefield. This, along with their house on Fraser’s Ridge being entirely destroyed by Donner’s fire, made it the perfect moment for Jamie to bring Young Ian back to visit Jenny in Scotland. However, Claire’s trip is shortened by Marsali’s request in the Outlander book.
Marsali Asking Claire To Come Back Separates Claire & Jamie In The Outlander Books
An Echo in the Bone simultaneously details the Frasers’ efforts in the American Revolution and their first trip to Scotland in years. While that gave the Outlander book a chance to reintroduce past characters like Laoghaire, Jenny, and Ian, it also separates once again Jamie and Claire, who were recently forcibly separated by Richard Brown’s machinations, as he wanted Jamie in Scotland, and revenge on Claire for Lionel’s murder. Marsali’s letter to her mother, Laoghaire, detailing Henri-Christian’s illness prompts Claire to return to America with Young Ian, leaving behind Jamie to help with Marsali’s fourth child’s malady.
Without Marsali’s request for help, Claire wouldn’t have left Scotland without Jamie. Instead, An Echo in the Bone causes Claire to face alone another perilous journey across the ocean and the dangers that wait for her in North Carolina because of British Captain Richardson’s belief that Claire is a spy. Jamie and Claire’s separation makes them unaware of what’s happening to the other in Outlander’s seventh book, making Jamie’s presumed death in the Euterpe shipwreck believable. Were Jamie and Claire together, she would have known he didn’t board the Euterpe with Jenny, but another boat altogether that didn’t sink.
Jamie’s Presumed Death Reiterates Misfortunes Befalling Him & Claire If Separated
Jamie and Claire’s most famous separation in Outlander season 2 was pushed by Jamie to save Claire from the battle of Culloden. However, most of Outlander’s separations of Jamie and Claire always led to something terrible happening, whether that was Jamie’s torture at the hand of Blackjack Randall or Claire’s assault by Lionel Brown’s men. Although Jamie and Jenny aren’t really dead in An Echo in the Bone, Claire and Lord John Grey believing them so causes their incessant grief and subsequent marriage, as John wishes to protect Claire from Richardson’s accusations. Whenever that happens in Outlander season 7, at least it also means Marsali and Fergus will be back.
