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The Scottish Prisoner (previous working title: Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner) is the third novel in the Lord John Series by Diana Gabaldon, published in 2011. Set in 1760, this is a two-person book, alternating between Jamie Fraser's point of view and that of Lord John Grey.

Plot[]

London, 1760. For Jamie Fraser, paroled prisoner-of-war in the remote Lake District, life could be worse: He’s not cutting sugar cane in the West Indies, and he’s close enough to the son he cannot claim as his own. But Jamie Fraser’s quiet existence is coming apart at the seams, interrupted first by dreams of his lost wife, then by the appearance of Tobias Quinn, an erstwhile comrade from the Rising.

Like many of the Jacobites who aren’t dead or in prison, Quinn still lives and breathes for the Cause. His latest plan involves an ancient relic that will rally the Irish. Jamie is having none of it—he’s sworn off politics, fighting, and war. Until Lord John Grey shows up with a summons that will take him away from everything he loves—again.

Lord John Grey—aristocrat, soldier, and occasional spy—finds himself in possession of a packet of explosive documents that exposes a damning case of corruption against a British officer. But they also hint at a more insidious danger. Time is of the essence as the investigation leads to Ireland, with a baffling message left in “Erse,” the tongue favored by Scottish Highlanders. Lord John, who oversaw Jacobite prisoners when he was governor of Ardsmuir Prison, thinks Jamie may be able to translate—but will he agree to do it?

Soon Lord John and Jamie are unwilling companions on the road to Ireland, a country whose dark castles hold dreadful secrets, and whose bogs hide the bones of the dead.

Summary[]

In April of 1760, Jamie has spent the last several years of his parole working as a groom at Helwater Estate for Lord and Lady Dunsany, a position arranged for him by John Grey. A lady’s maid, Betty Mitchell, flirts with Jamie, but Jamie rebuffs her. Seemly by chance, Jamie runs into an one-time associate and Irish Jacobite Tobias Quinn. Quinn reveals that the meeting was engineered by Betty, who happens to be Quinn’s sister-in-law. Quinn insists the Jacobite cause is still active in Ireland, but Jamie rebuffs him. Despite his antipathy for the English, Jamie knows from Claire that the Jacobite cause is lost and he has no interest in another Culloden.

Jamie drives the Dunsanys' only remaining child, 17-year-old Isobel Dunsany, into town for an errand, and sees her in a romantic embrace with the family lawyer, Mr. Wilberforce. He privately disapproves, but says nothing. Later that week, Jamie is secretly overjoyed when the Lord Dunsany brings the now-2-year-old William to the stables. William quickly grows attached to Jamie and begins making regular visits with his nanny.

Meanwhile, in London, Lord John Grey is reviewing the late Charlie Carruthers’ papers, after the latter’s death in The Custom of the Army, which includes evidence of bad behavior by the corrupt Major Gerald Siverly. He and Hal find a Gaelic poem, and believe it’s a critical piece of evidence that will strengthen their planned case against Gerald Siverly.

Against Lord John’s wishes, Hal has Jamie forcibly brought to the Grey family estate, Argus House. Jamie is angered to realize his new host is the same man who spared his life (but not those of his companions) after Culloden. He is even more rattled when Hal’s wife, Minerva Grey, enters the room, having last known her as the 17-year-old daughter of Paris-based spy Rafael Wattiswade. Though Hal is respectful toward Jamie, he tells him that he wishes him to translate the poem and help John track down Siverly in Ireland, and threatens to have Jamie’s parole revoked if he doesn’t. Jamie reluctantly acquiesces.

The next day, while walking on his own, Jamie again encounters Quinn, who again pushes for him to join the cause. Jamie again demurs and returns to Argus House.

Hal, John, and Harry Quarry strategize, with Jamie as their reluctant conspirator. Jamie and John also meet with Stephan von Namtzen and paroled Irish Jacobite Thomas Lally at John's preferred gentleman's club, The Society for the Appreciation of the English Beefsteak. Jamie and Lally translate the poem and identify it as based on an old tale called "The Wild Hunt."

That night, Minerva Grey née Wattiswade visits Jamie in his room at Argus House. She tells him that one of Siverly’s alleged conspirators, is Edward Twelvetrees, whose brother Nathaniel was killed by Hal in a duel after Nathaniel had an affair with Hal’s first wife, Esmé. She tells him that Twelvetrees is funneling money to Ireland, but asks him to steer the investigation away from Twelvetrees as much as possible, in order to protect Hal and John.

John and Jamie travel to Ireland, accompanied by John’s manservant, Tom Byrd. Jamie is horrified to find Quinn on the ship with them, and even more horrified when Quinn wheedles his way into accompanying them on their journey to Siverly’s estate. John suspects nothing.

That night however, Quinn tries to kill a sleeping John, telling Jamie that John is getting in the way of “their business.” Jamie firmly retorts that he and Quinn have no business, and promises to personally kill Quinn if he kills John.

John overhears all of this while feigning sleep, and is simultaneously alarmed by Quinn’s intentions, concerned that Jamie did not disclose prior relationship with Quinn, and touched that Jamie would protect his life. John confronts Jamie, who tells him that he is not colluding with Quinn, but pointedly avoids explaining the “business” Quinn referred to.

John, Jamie, and Tom visit the local justiciar, Sir Melchior, who mentions that Siverly recently came into some money and suggests they visit a nearby monastery of Inchcleraun, where the abbot, a Michael FitzGibbons has an interest in obscure history like the "Wild Hunt" poem.

Unbeknownst to John, Abbot Michael is a close friend of Jamie’s paternal uncle Alexander. Jamie visits the abbey, and under the seal of confession, Jamie tells Abbot Michael everything about their mission, his life at Helwater, and his tumultuous relationship with John. The abbot comforts him, but then, to Jamie’s consternation, urges him to join the Irish Jacobite efforts. Jamie rebuffs him.

Jamie visits Siverly at his home, in the guise of an academic looking to learn more about the Wild Hunt poem. However, Siverly is alarmed and tries to kill Jamie. Jamie barely escapes.

The next day, John goes to visit Siverly himself, and is shocked to find Edward Twelvetrees already there, with what appears to be a paymaster’s chest. The pair are obviously funding the Irish Jacobite cause. John tells Siverly of Charlie Cruthers’s evidence of Siverly’s misconduct. After a furious Siverly leaves, John impulsively shows him the Wild Hunt poem, and Twelvetrees goes pale.

John returns to Siverly’s the following day, but Siverly hears him coming and attempts to flee. John pursues him, but turns a corner to find him dead by his own club. John is arrested for Siverly's murder on the spot.

Jamie reluctantly allies with Quinn to break John out of prison. They manage to escape with John via boat, though Tom is shot in the effort. They bring Tom to the monks at Inchcleraun for treatment.

John and Jamie return to Siverly’s house once more and find Twelvetrees attempting to destroy a list of fellow Jacobite co-conspirators. Back in London, Hal, John, and Jamie decide to court martial Siverly posthumously. Twelvetrees will also be court-martialed.

A resigned Jamie tells John and Hal much of what Quinn told him about Jacobite's plans. He tells them that if he thought the plans had the slightest chance of succeeding, he would not reveal them to Hal and John.

Jamie and John visit the Beefsteak, and are costed by Edward Twelvetrees, who calls John a sodomite and Jamie a traitor before trying to attack Jamie, much to the shock of the other Beefsteak members. Jamie accuses him of being a treasonous Jacobite, and implies that he's slandering Lord John in a vain attempt to discredit Lord John's testimony.

Knowing that Twelvetrees will want to duel Jamie for his insult at the club, John preempts the matter by challenging Twelvetrees to a duel himself. Jamie accompanies John as his second. The fight quickly deteriorates, and John fatally wounds Twelvetrees.

A numb John and Jamie return to Argus House. John is treated for his injuries during the duel.

John and Jamie testify at Siverly’s court martial the following week. During a break, spymaster Hubert Bowles pulls John aside and tells him that Edward Twelvetrees was a double agent working to suppress various Jacobite plots. He also reveals that it was Quinn who had killed Siverly, upon finding out that Siverly planned to steal the money raised and desert the failing Jacobite cause.

John is horrified by his mistake, and Jamie comforts him. John offers Jamie a pardon for his help on the case, but to his surprise, Jamie tells him he has “someone at Helwater.” Upon being pressed, Jamie invents a relationship between himself and Betty Mitchell. Hal insists on giving Jamie reward money for his help, most of which Jamie sends to his family.

The next day, Jamie learns that Quinn - knowing he was about to be arrested - committed suicide. Jamie accompanies Quinn’s body back to Ireland and inters him in a bog near the abbey.

Jamie returns to Helwater, accompanied by John. An increasing frail Lord Dunsany asks John to be William’s guardian, given William’s lack of direct male relatives. John agrees.

Jamie settles back into his old routines. Jamie and Betty accompany Lady Dunsany, Isobel Dunsany, Mr. Wilberforce, and William on a family picnic. Betty tells Jamie that Isobel wishes to marry the much older Mr. Wilberforce, but her parents have refused permission. Later, Jamie realizes that William has disappeared from the group. After a panicked search, he finds William in a rocky hollow and comforts him. William clings to him, and Jamie allows himself to fully love William for the first time.

John visits Jamie at the stables and finds him teaching William to ride. He watches them for a few minutes before beginning a game of verbal chess with Jamie. Jamie responds with a move of his own, signaling that their friendship is back on solid ground.

The next day, a panicked Betty tells Jamie that Mr. Wilberforce has just left in a carriage with Isobel, intending to elope with her. Mr. Wilberforce is already married, so a marriage with Isobel would likely ruin the latter’s reputation. At Betty’s urging, Jamie reluctantly goes after them and, after a full days’ ride, and retrieves a terrified and apparently regretful Isabel.

He brings Isabel back to Helwater, and, not wanting to alarm Isabel’s parents, brings her to John’s room. John comforts her and helps her to bed. The following day, John departs Helwater. Well after returning to London, John belatedly recalls seeing Jamie and William together at the stables, and realizes that William is Jamie’s biological father and the “someone at Helwater” Jamie meant. Jamie enjoys a moment with William and prays once more for Claire and her unknown child.

Characters[]

Book Covers[]

Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner

Cover with working title



References[]

See also[]

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