I WOULD HAVE LEFT TOO! If Claire HAD decided to go downstairs and have a cup of tea so she could think and calm down, she probably felt that she would be sitting down there all alone, in a house where no one even wanted her there. I mean, when they arrived the night before, Ian & Jenny weren't that glad to see her or Jamie due to the situation with Young Ian, and then just a short time after she receives "the shock of the century" (or even two!!!) when she finds out Jamie is currently married (to her "arch enemy", of all people), she then has a further shock when she finds out that it was Jenny who set up this whole drama with Laoghaire!

Nothing like feeling TOTALLY unwanted, AND that her coming back to Jamie might be one of the biggest mistakes of her life! I felt just as much sadness and despair for Claire in this chapter as I did when she lost the baby in Paris, and when she had to leave Jamie just before Culloden.

Pauline and Jamie'swife I completely understand what you are saying about Claire leaving and how you would have done the same! I was just so glad that she and Jamie were back together that I would have rather have seen her collect herself and go find Jamie; there was just so much left unsaid and so much that needed to be answered. In all of their awkward moments since her return he had tried to let her know that he loved her and his life had been empty without her, and because she had left everything behind to come to him it seemed that she could have sought him out rather than running away, especially when she really had no intention of actually leaving.

It seems, at that moment, that Claire didn't stop to think how Jamie felt about the 20 years she had spent with Frank and that his daughter having been raised by another man. I also don't think she truly understood how lonely he had been. She was only thinking about Jamie and Laoghaire (ugh!!!) even though she knew that Jamie didn't know what Laoghaire had tried to do to her.

What would Claire, or Jamie for that matter, have done if the situation had been reversed and Jamie showed up in the 1960's. Would Jamie have left if he found that Claire had stayed with Frank and she had not told him? Would Claire have told him about Frank right away? Just something to ponder.

I guess if Claire had not run away Jamie would not have been shot by Laoghaire and Claire would not have been able to use her needles on Jamie!!! Seems like Claire is always sticking him with needles in some form or another! Hmmmmmmm-wonder what that is all about!

Sorry for the rambling thoughts!!!

No worries. Rambling is good. Or at least I hope it is because I seem to do it on a regular basis.

It would have been different if Jamie had gone to the 1960s because he knew that Claire had been married to Frank and he sent her back to him. It wouldn't have been a surprise or something that he wouldn't have asked about or that she felt she had to hide. And, since he would presumably have met Brianna, she wasn't likely to hide the man she knew as her father.

I agree that Claire had plenty of reason to leave at that point (and I likely would have, but I'm definitely not as courageous as Claire), but I think that if Jenny hadn't essentially pushed her out the door she would have stayed around or gone out to take a walk to think things through And, then, she would have talked to Jamie and let him explain - both about Laoghaire and about why he hadn't told her sooner. Clearly, she didn't really want to leave.

Audiobooklover! I think Claire would have stayed if Jenny had not strongly encouraged her to do so!

I have to say i cried at this point in the book when Claire is mouring what she thought she had lost, such a great deal of events happening at this point in the book.

I really wasn't surprised that Young Ian showed up to talk to Claire, I did not necessarily think that Jamie sent him tho. I initaillly assumed that Ian went on his own to try to reason with Claire. he seems like the sort of persona to become involved in the situations of those around him.
(meddling teens )

I was clearly annoyed by Jenny, first her sending her daughter to Laoghaire but then also being so agreeable about Clair leaving - to me it almosted seemed uncharacteristic of her to do so - we later learn Jenny's motives for wanting Claire to leave - but it still seemed odd to me, Jenny never struck me as a selfish person.

One thing that stills bothers me, is that Claire never reveals what Laoghaire did to her. I know it would not change anything that had already happened. Still that would have been one of this first things out of my mouth.

Hello everyone! I'm really enjoying reading what you all have written here, and I hope it's ok that I jump in with a question:

WHY does it never occur to Jamie or Claire, for that matter, to tell Jenny and Ian the truth about Claire's disappearance? Jenny was obviously angry with Claire for abandoning Jamie (and his family) after Culloden, and from Jenny's perspective, I don't think there is redemption for Claire, whether or not Jamie loves her. Claire told Jenny that she thought Jamie was dead, but she didn't elaborate and she didn't explain why she had never tried to make any contact whatsoever with the Murrays.

I don't condone what Jenny did or the way she went about it, but it seems to me that Claire and Jenny would never be able to have a relationship given what Jenny *thinks* she knows about Claire. And also, didn't it seem strange that Jenny was so devious about "addressing" the Claire problem. From what we've seen of her in the past, she seems to address things head-on and very loudly too. Do you think this change in her character shows a different side of her or do you think it shows how SHE has changed over the 20 years?

I would love to hear your thoughts!