Outlander Series Re-Read Book 2 Dragonfly in Amber

WARNING:  SPOILERS HIGHLY LIKELY SO PROCEED WITH CAUTION IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE OUTLANDER SERIES AND/OR WATCHED THE SHOW!

I've now started Dragonfly in Amber.  The following are quotes and thoughts that occurred as I was reading.  And as a point of not confusing things, in this post any reference to Ian is to Jenny's husband rather than her son since young Ian has not been born yet.  

1.  "I'll leave it to you, Sassenach," he said dryly, "to imagine what it feels like to arrive unexpectedly in the midst of a brothel, in possession of a verra large sausage."  Yeah, my inner 12 yr old boy just snickered at that. Actually, my outer 48 yr old grouchy woman also did too. 

2. After Claire and Mary Hawkins are attacked and then after the drama of the dinner guests and Jamie's arrest, after he returns home and Murtagh follows him, their conversation is fascinating.  

The wiry little man drew the dirk from his belt, without flourishes, but with a good deal of deliberateness, and held it out, haft first. The bony, seamed face was expressionless, but the one black eye rested unwaveringly on Jamie’s face.

“I’ve failed ye,” the little man said quietly. “And I’ll ask ye, as my chief, to take my life now, so I needna live longer wi’ the shame of it.”...  

...He reached out and placed one hand gently over the purple knot on Murtagh’s head.

“There’s nay shame to ha’ fallen in battle, mo caraidh,” he said softly. “The greatest of warriors may be overcome.”

But the little man shook his head stubbornly, black eye unwinking.

“Nay,” he said. “I didna fall in battle. Ye gave me your trust; your own lady and your child unborn to guard, and the wee English lassie as well. And I gave the task sae little heed that I had nay chance to strike a blow when the danger came. Truth to tell, I didna even see the hand that struck me down.”...

 ...But I’m no your chief, man,” Jamie went on, in a firmer tone. “Ye’ve sworn me no vow, and I hold nay power ower ye.”

“Aye, that ye do.” Murtagh’s voice was firm as well, and the haft of the dirk never trembled.

“But-”

“I swore ye my oath, Jamie Fraser, when ye were no more than a week old, and a bonny lad at your mother’s breast.”

I could feel the tiny start of astonishment as Jamie’s eyes opened wide.

“I knelt at Ellen’s feet, as I kneel now by yours,” the little clansman went on, narrow chin held high. “And I swore to her by the name o’ the threefold God, that I would follow ye always, to do your bidding, and guard your back, when ye became a man grown, and needing such service.” The harsh voice softened then, and the eyelid drooped over the one tired eye.

“Aye, lad. I do cherish ye as the son of my own loins. But I have betrayed your service.”

“That ye havena and never could.” Jamie’s hands rested on Murtagh’s shoulders, squeezing firmly. “Nay, I wilna have your life from ye, for I’ve need of ye still. But I will lay an oath on ye, and you’ll take it.”   

“I charge ye, then, by your oath to me and your word to my mother – find the men. Hunt them, and when they be found, I do charge ye wi’ the vengeance due my wife’s honor – and the blood of Mary Hawkins’s innocence.”  

Yeaaaahhhh. No...I wasn't sitting here crying as I read it.  Ok so obviously, I was.  I am fully aware I can appear to be a bit cold. RBF is a thing.  There's a lot of moments like this but for some reason this one hit me. 

3. The use of "good-sister" and "good-brother" to refer to an in-law relationship.  Jenny Murray uses it quite a lot at times throughout the series to refer to Claire.  And in DIA, when Jamie, Claire, Murtagh, and Fergus leave France and return to Lallybroch, Ian Murray (Mòr) uses good-sister when he greets Claire.  I know that in MOBY, Rachel Hunter uses the phrase as well.  It's a good one.  

4. Following the above though, Ian does NOT call Jamie his "good-brother".  When Ian injured his leg, and Claire told him he needed to rest it the next week, he protests he cannot do that because he has so much to do.  Jaime firmly tells him he has a leg to men too, using what Claire calls his "laird's look". To which, Ian replies, 

“The hell I will,” he said flatly. His hot brown eyes met Jamie’s with a look in which pain and anger mingled with resentment – and something else I didn’t recognize. “D’ye think ye can order me?”

Of course this leaves Jamie a bit taken aback and he acknowledges that no, he will not order him but he does say, "May I ask that you take care of yourself?"  And Ian of course relaxes a bit and says yes and requests Jamie's assistance getting him to bed.  

Ian said something soft and quick to Jamie in Gaelic. I still was not proficient in the tongue, but I thought he had said, “Be well, brother.”

Jamie paused, looking back, and smiled, the candle lighting his eyes with warmth.

“You, too, mo brathair.”

So rather than using good-brother with each other, they use the Gaelic word for brother.  In a way it is not at all surprising as they grew up together.  Jamie's father was laird, Ian's father was on of his men. They grew up together, especially after Jamie and Jenny's brother Willie died.  And the following part illustrates exactly why they use brother. It's more than just growing up together. They'd seen each other every day of their lives, until Jamie went to foster with Dougal at Beannachd and then on to Leoch with Colum. Jamie goes on to explain that some of the bruising Clair saw on Ian's face and neck was from him and that "Ian has been married too long.", which was a confusing statement until he explained that in the home of one of the Murray tenants, the home was crowded and they were bunked down on the floor.  Apparently, in his sleep, Ian rolled over and hugged Jamie from behind as he would Jenny and then kissed the back of Jamie's neck. Yeah, possibly not the thing to do given Jamie's experiences with BJR at Wentworth. Ian, of course did not know the story so Jamie later confessed the whole thing to him.  

5. When talk of war comes and especially of Jamie leaving to support Bonnie Prince Charlies, Jenny asks that he take Ian with him because she knows Ian feels left behind because he thinks Jamie won't want him at his side.  This is true but not because of his disability.  Jamie wants to keep him out of the fight because Ian runs Lallybroch well.  He does not want to risk his nephew and niece not having their father or to have Jenny lose her husband.  It not his lack of trust in Ian's capabilities that cause Jamie to want to keep him out of the war but that he does trust Ian fully. Jamie knowing that, like himself, Ian is a rather stubborn Scot, figures out a way to manage Ian into staying while also not destroying the man's self-worth.  He simply tells Ian to get ready to accompany him to join BPC because he needs someone he can trust at his side.  Ian informs Jamie that he cannot order Ian about. He then tells Jamie he is a fool and "...I’m a cripple, and ye ken it well enough.”  Jamie's reply is a good one, if manipulative (in a positive manner): 

“I ken you’re a bonny fighter, and there’s none I’d rather have by my side in a battle,” Jamie said firmly. His face gave no sign of doubts or hesitation; he had agreed to Jenny’s request, and would carry it out, no matter what. “You’ve fought there often enough; will ye desert me now?”

Ian states his leg is a problem, that if it comes off during battle, he will be ripe for a Redcoat to kill him.  He then asks, "...who d’ye think will mind this place for ye until you come back, and I’m off to the wars with ye?”.  Jamie's reply that he'll leave Jenny in charge makes Ian more angry.  

“Pog ma mahon! You’ll ha’ me leave her to run the place alone, wi’ three small bairns at her apron, and but half the men needed? Man, ye’ve taken leave o’ your senses!”

Again he asks what makes Jamie think he can order Ian about.  Jamie states he's bigger than Ian and they proceed to become little boys again. 

“I’m older than you,” he [Ian] answered, with an identical scowl.

“I’m stronger.”

“No, you’re not!”

“Aye, I am!”

“No, I am!”  

They fight and it ends in a draw.  Jamie concedes he cannot order Ian but he can simply ask Ian to come with him.  And Ian declines. Because, "“No, my jo,” he said softly. “Ye need me here, and here I shall stay.” and then ends by saying, "“I shall stay here,” he repeated. “Guardin’ your weak side, man.”  Which is what Ian father had taught him when the men were boys.  Especially given Jamie fights left-handed, he impressed on Ian that it was Ian's job to guard his weaker side.  And too Jamie did learn to fight with his right hand.  

6. Jamie giving advice on how to sneak up and kill a man to a young Lord John Grey is amusing.  And poor lad, falling for Jamie's trick of threatening Claire. Though he introduced himself as William and it threw me for a moment.  I'd forgotten that was one of his names. And Jamie is gonna be in some trouble with Claire.  Even Murtaugh knows that.  She dithers about calling him an insulting name when he binds her wrists and Jamie supplies poltroon or jackal. Asks Murtaugh which he is and Murtaugh tells him, he will be dogsmeat if he unties Claire without being armed. Jamie then tells John that he "must apologize to his wife for forcing her to take part in this deception. I assure you that her participation was entirely unwilling." and goes on to assure John that while she graciously shares Jamie's bed on occasion and has never been subjected to duress in the sharing of his bed, that it would be a good idea not to untie her quite yet.  Claire has threats of her own.  She plainly tell Jamie he will no longer be sharing her bed if he touches that boy. Jamie decides what should be done with John and says, “I give you your life. I hope ye’ll use it well.”   If he only knew.  

7. The whole thing with Claire being "rescued" by the English and taken to the Duke of Sandringham is something I tend to forget about.  How she meets Mary Hawkins again and that leads to how Mary ends up married to BJR. And well, Murtagh setting vengeance for Claire and Mary and justice for Hugh Monro's wife.  What Sandringham caused to happen to Claire and Mary was awful. 

8. After rescuing Claire and Mary, Jaime and company return to Edinburgh. And end up in a scene with BJR where he somewhat redeems himself. Or at least causes both Jamie and Claire to find him slightly less of a monster. 

9. Dougal...I swear that man lost his dang fool mind there at the end.  Jamie might consider himself a murderer over what happened but I view that as him defending Claire against imminent danger. Jamie is all about family connections, so it is understandable that he feels he murdered Dougal. But... well, "don't start none, won't be none" and FAFO both come to mind here. Dougal did start it, so Jamie had no choice but to finish it. And in the end Dougal found out one of Jamie's lines regarding his love of kin vs his heart and soul.  Yes, they were well matched when it came to close fighting, only natural since his uncle fostered him and taught him much about fighting. Physically, they were fairly well matched. Both left handed. But not only had Dougal tried hitting on Claire (he really exhibited creepy uncle vibes at times, but at others, he wasn't a bad guy) he was now blaming her for things that were far from her doing.  That's just batcrap crazy there. Jamie, on the other hand, was doing what must be done, protecting his wife (and as we soon find out, his unborn child). 

10. Jamie's insistence Claire go back to Craigh na Dun to keep her and their child safe. I get it. That drive he has to protect is strong. I also love how he both appreciates Frank care of Claire and how he does hate him. And then we jump ahead to 1968. Yes, the year Geillie Duncan mentioned. Claire's confession to Bri and Roger Mac. Seeing how Geillie accomplished her trip through the stones.  The link between Roger Mac and Geillie and Dougal. Which makes Roger and Bri being married an interesting soup of family connections. I mean come on, Bri's great-uncle was her husband's 5th great-grandfather. That makes them something like second cousins, 5 times removed. No big deal in the grand scheme of things. Though it is interesting from a who can time travel point of view and the things we learn in later books. (A point I hope to come back to once I get to that part of the books!)

Well, it's taken me 3 days to read DIA. Which isn't bad given how long the book is but for me is a bit slow. In my defence (uhhh why did I just use the BrE spelling of the word defense???) I keep getting distracted by the real people and events in the book.  I mean Jamie's paternal grandfather was a real person in history.  Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, did take part in both the 1715 and 1745 Uprisings. His son, also Simon Fraser, was who led the Fraser troops into battle. The Old Fox really was captured and executed in London for his part in the Uprising. Interesting, a distant relative of the Old Fox, was pretty well-known in WWII.  Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat (not a direct descendant of the 11th Lord Lovat as his titles were forfeit and were later settled on a distant cousin of his, Thomas Fraser, who became 12th Lord Lovat and was the great-grandfather of the 15th Lord Lovat)  was known for his actions on D-Day. He order Bill Millin to play his pipes as the commandos landed on Sword Beach. This was against military order and when Piper Bill demurred, Lovat is said to have replied, "Ah, but that's the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish, and that doesn't apply". I actually knew of the 15th Lord Lovat before Outlander because of Piper Bill. To be fair, my curiosity about the connection between the 11th Lord and the 15th Lord was high when I realized who Jamie's grandfather was. The 15th Lord Lovat and Piper Bill defended Pegasus Bridge.  But that's just one example of how I get distracted by the real history while reading. There will be more to come.  On to Voyager!

Quotes from Dragonfly in Amber © 1992 by Diana Gabaldon