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Voyager
By Diana Gabaldon

CHAPTER 25 - House of Joy

Jamie and a curious Claire left the print shot in the pouring rain to find Mr Willoughby. “Where are we going”? A mere 100 yards away on Carfax Close they arrived at a crowded tavern named “The World’s End”. With several pairs of eyes following them the barmaid informs Jamie that a very intoxicated Mr Willoughby was to be found ‘down stairs”. After handing her some coins in payment, Jamie and Clair makes their way to the back of the tavern, down stairs that led to a darkened room beneath the tavern. After some searching Mr Willoughby a tiny Chinaman makes his acquaintance with Claire Fraser with a grand and mischievous appearance by flinging himself through the air at Jamie knocking him to the ground.

With the small Chinaman in hand Jamie and Claire reentered the tavern. They ran into some trouble when a lady of the tavern recognized Mr Willoughby and screaming in an angry fit wanted to thrash him for a ‘disgusting thing’ he did to her! The three of them made a run for it as her cries attracted the attention of a burly lad who in his drunken state mistook Claire for a whore and groped at her bodice ripping her dress. This caused Jamie to knock him out.

Losing the small mob that chased after them, they eventually made their way back down the Royal Mile to a house of another sort and were greeted at the door by a very shocked Madame Jeanne when Jamie introduced Claire as his wife!

“Jamie, why have you got a regular room in a brothel?” asked a very upset Claire. Claire is very much aware that she knows almost nothing of this man she left at Craig na dun twenty years ago. She has come back to him, left her daughter in another time to be with him but is he still the person she knew? “Do you want me?” he whispered……. "Will ye take me – and risk the man that I am, for the sake of the man ye knew?”

They ate, talked for some time, trying to start the process to relearn each other, to start to fill in the gaps of their parting, start to re assure each other of their feelings for each other, start on the road to once again be a married couple, to become reacquainted. Familiar on some levels yet, still strangers. Claire introduces Jamie to her zipper and the remnants of the Jessica Guttenberg fell like magic away from her body and sagged to the floor. What a day!.....so far.

Between very tender moments of simply staring at each other, the uncontrollable need to touch each other; loving each other, they talked more, of Jamie’s occupations: printer, smuggler, traitor; of Culloden; of their daughter Brianna – “….draw her for me, let me see her.", he whispered. Claire, voice hoarse and choking with emotion and the memory of their child, "Like mine. She has long slim hands, like mine......." she began.



Such a beautifully written chapter. It should have been titled “Many questions” but I can see how House of Joy is so much more …titillating!

I could feel all the emotions that came out of this first day back together as DG took us within the walls of the brothel to witness a familiar and yet new, very different and nascent passion, ignite.

What are your thoughts on this chapter? Did you also experience and sense the passage of time here, and of Jamie and Claire's slow sometimes but sometimes eager journey back to themselves and each other?

I look forward to your insights on this chapter. For me its so exciting to hear what you got from it.

I love rereads! I just never gt 'it' the first time around!

Although I loved the reunion at the print shop (especially when Claire showed Jamie pictures of Brianna), I have to say some of the reunion I found lacking. I didn't like the running around to find Mr. Willoughby and all of the foolishness Jamie was involved in. Plus, Jamie seemed so mysterious at times (probably trying to hide his marriage to Laoghaire). I felt sorry for Claire in that Jamie's attention seemed to be distracted after she had risked/sacraficed so much (her life going through the stones, the risk of never seeing Brianna or Brianna's future mate or children) to be with him again.

The life that Jamie was leading prior to Claire's arrival was very busy, indeed, and it was fun to read so many things that Claire would have never imagined him being involved in were happening. Although, I have to admit, I just really anticipated them getting to the business of getting reaquainted with one another.

I'm with you Surah, the unfolding of their gradual and emotional feelings, and the much anticipated physical reunion, was beautiful, just like your summary I love the quote you included at the end, where Jamie is asking Claire to draw Bree for him, it was so touching and a great way to show how even after 20 years, Claire could connect with Jamie's thoughts perfectly.

Arabella, It was too bad that Jamie couldn't just take a day off to spend with Claire. Claire had the advantage of putting her life in order before her move to the past. Jamie was in the middle of a very busy life that would not wait. I was afraid that Claire would not catch up to him at all. Imagine if she arrived two days later! Can we forgive him for not "getting around to" telling Claire about Laoghaire?

I have sort of mixed feelings at this point. The first time I read this book, a friend who had recommended the series to me told me how much I would love Voyager, and I actually found that I didn't like the book as much as the earlier two. I suppose smuggling, pirates and strange little Chinese men are not quite my thing. But, that being said (and it's still true for me), rereading and discussing it chapter by chapter with all of you reminds me of the lovely writing, sweet moments and humor that I had forgotten. It's never likely to be my favorite of the books in the series, but I can still love it as I read (or re-kilt in this case).

I wonder what happened to the zipper? Might one of Madame Jeanne's seamstresses try to use it on a different dress? Probably not.

I know on a different thread, there was a discussion about Claire's tendency to like fairly rough sex on a fairly frequent basis and I thought of that the first time they were together in this chapter.

I'm trying to pay attention to where Jamie is known as Mr. Malcolm (the print shop and the World's End) and Mr. Fraser (Mme Jeanne's) because it seems like things could be fairly dicey if people who know him from one place see him elsewhere (particularly the people at the brothel knowing his real name). Edinburgh's not such a huge place that it would be so easy to keep his two (or more?) identities separated, so I'm just trying to pay attention for possible worrisome moments (even though I know it never causes big trouble - having read and listened to the book before).


ETA: And, I agree with Repoman that we couldn't expect Jamie's life to stop just because Claire showed up completely unexpectedly. She had time to prepare for this reunion and take care of other things in advance, but his life had to go on despite the huge (but happy) disruption her arrival caused him.

Great summary Surah! I have just recently re-kilted this via audio. I actually thought it was pretty realistic. Life didn't stop. Jamie had business dealings that must be tended. However, even given that, he was extremely late (several hours) getting to Mr Willoughby because he was absorbed with Claire. Once he remembered Mr Willoughby, he had to do what he must. Jamie is always doing what must be done.

I loved the humor at the brothel. The surprise of the Madame was fun and the joy of Jamie introducing Claire as his wife was great. I even enjoyed Mr Willoughby's reaction to Claire.

Thanks NE Mom, TwilighTINK! I also concur with your posts about Jamie's life going on. He did spend a whole lot of time with Claire that first day. Finding Mr Willoughby took maybe an hour or less from the time they left the Print Shop?? It was not a far walk to The World's End aye. Audio does force you to slow down and go at the narrator's pace (as opposed to one's tendency to read fast most times, speaking for myself of course). This I find gives me a better pacing for the story and its so wonderful to feel a part of the whole day's events.

Audiobooklover, I love the 'what if' game so much that sometimes I get reallllly anxious about non existent (literally lol) things that may or may not happen (get written). How muddled is that?! I lose my mind, I really do. I have gone ahead to the next book, as I am reading with my big sister. We both sometimes spend hours playing the 'what if' game and just freaking each other out!

I don't think Jamie fully grasped Claire's time travel. I know for sure I don't! I am certain he must have spent many hours thinking about exactly where in time/space she existed; if she ever existed. After a time I would start to think I imagined the whole thing! But what I did like and like a lot was the fact that he still had 'convos' with her.... remember when she walked in and asked him about his broken nose, his response was so easy and immediate, (audiobk) as if he was doing one of his customary 'talks' with her in his head. Loved that!

Great summary of one of my favourite chapters -

I like to think that the twenty years interval made Jamie and Claire into more rounded people - they each had their faults and failings, and yet had taken a huge step to be together again - granted, Jamie hadn't had time to prepare. He must have been completely bamboozled by Claire's appearance at Carfax close.

This scene in the whore house shows that Jamie had secrets to hide.... and had lived his life - after all he never expected to see Claire again.

The tender way Jamie asked Claire to describe Brianna - "Draw her for me , let me see her" - gave me the shivers

Beautiful summary, thank you. I've had this question in mind since reading it the first time, and hoped that the second time around would have some answers that I missed. I'm still missing the answer! What "disgusting thing" did he do to her feet? (Or any whore's feet for that matter). Surely he didn't break and bind her feet. Does it ever say what exactly it is that he DOES with feet that would be so offensive? I understand he has a foot fetish, but I guess I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around something beyond adoration (foot massage, kissing, licking toes, etc...) except for binding. Claire says "What sort of horrible things can you do with a foot? Surely the possibilities are limited." To which Jamie says "No, they aren't. But it isna something I want to be talking about in the public street." Of all the things to drive me crazy...