Outlander

Updated: 2024-4-18

Status: Completed

Outlander Novel Chapters

List of most recent chapters published for the Outlander novel. A total of 245 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024

Latest Release: Chapter 1 : PART ONE Inverness, 1945 1 A NEW BEGINNING It wasn’t a very likely place for disappearan
PART ONE Inverness, 1945 1 A NEW BEGINNING It wasn’t a very likely place for disappearances, at least at first glance. Mrs. Baird’s was like a thousand other Highland bed-and-breakfast establishments in 1945; clean and quiet, with fading floral wallpaper,

46 He felt me wake, and drew me close, as though to preserve a moment longer the union we had reached in those last seconds of our perilous joining. I curled beside him, putting my arms around him. He opened his eyes then and sighed, the long mouth curling i 2024-4-23
45 “Claire,” he said evenly, “I shall tell ye in my own time why I’ve wed ye—or I won’t. I asked honesty of you, and I’ve given ye the same. And I give it to you now. The girl has no claim on me beyond that of courtesy.” He squeezed my chin lightly. “But tha 2024-4-23
44 Jamie lay back on the bed beside me, staring up at the ceiling. “No,” he said. “No, he told me all right. And at a reasonable price.” I rolled up onto an elbow in order to look down at his face. “Well, then?” I demanded. “Who did shoot the sergeant-major? 2024-4-23
43 He had risked his life for me. That much he might do for the sake of his marriage vow; he would, he said, protect me to the last drop of his blood, and I believed he meant it. I was more touched by the events of the last twenty-four hours, when he had sud 2024-4-23
42 “One I remember especially, because he’d make ye stand out in the front of the schoolroom with your hand out, and then he’d lecture ye at great length about your faults before he started, and again in between strokes. I’d stand there wi’ my hand out, smar 2024-4-23
41 “The other reason,” he went on, “is because of the other men. Ye’ll have noticed how they were tonight?” I had; it had been so uncomfortable at dinner that I was glad to escape to the room. “There’s such a thing as justice, Claire. You’ve done wrong to th 2024-4-23
40 I looked back over the camp. The men were cl.u.s.tering at the small building, milling and shouting. Off to one side, I spotted a small wooden platform, set three or four feet high, with steps leading up. A heavy wooden post rose out of the center, cross- 2024-4-23
39 He looked me over disapprovingly, taking in every detail of my waterlogged costume, unkempt hair, and generally disheveled appearance. “d.a.m.ned if I know what they want you for,” he observed. “Or, if you’re so valuable to them, why the devil they let yo 2024-4-23
38 He stopped in his tirade to stare incredulously at me, rolling on the gra.s.s in hysterics. Jamie, red as a beetroot, led Dougal to the other side of the aspen screen, explaining in a subdued voice. I continued to whoop and giggle uncontrollably, finally 2024-4-23
37 “It’s all right,” I said, as I came up to him. “It’s gone.” Instead of finding this statement rea.s.suring, it seemed occasion for fresh alarm. He dropped the bucket, fell to his knees before me and crossed himself. “Ha-have mercy, lady,” he stammered. To 2024-4-23
36 “Will they come back, do you think?” I asked, but he shook his head. “Nay, it was Malcolm Grant and his two boys—it was the oldest I stuck in the leg. They’ll be home in their own beds by now,” he replied. He stroked my hair and said, in softer tones, “Ye 2024-4-23
35 Niece. I felt a small s.h.i.+ver run down my spine, in spite of the warm weather. Niece to the MacKenzie chieftain. Not to mention to the war chieftain of clan MacKenzie, riding so nonchalantly by my side. And on the other side, I was now presumably linke 2024-4-23
34 I froze, afraid even to look around, and tried to press myself still flatter against the ground. Jamie was motionless at my side, so still that he might have been a stone himself. Even the birds and insects seemed to have paused in their song, and the air 2024-4-23
33 “Rather a dull color, brown, I’ve always thought,” I said practically, trying to delay things a bit. I kept having the feeling of being whirled along much faster than I intended. Jamie shook his head, still smiling. “No, I’d not say that, Sa.s.senach. Not 2024-4-23
32 Eyes closed against the sun, Jamie laughed. “I suppose I could add a line for myself—‘I will leap into pools for thy sake.’ ” We both laughed, and then were quiet for a time, basking in the warm sun of the early summer. It was very peaceful there, with no 2024-4-23
30 “That sounds terribly uncomfortable for the female snake,” I said, giggling. “Well, she appeared to be enjoying herself,” said Jamie. “Near as I could tell; snakes havena got much expression on their faces.” I buried my face in his chest, snorting with mi 2024-4-23
29 “Well, now, where shall I start?” He put his rather large feet up on the stool and crossed them at the ankles. With some amus.e.m.e.nt, I recognized the Highlander settling back for a leisurely dissection of that tangle of family and clan relations.h.i.+p 2024-4-23
28 “ ’Til death us do part.” The words rang out in the quiet chapel with a startling finality. Everything was still, as though in suspended animation. Then the minister asked for the ring. There was a sudden stir of agitation and I caught a glimpse of Murtag 2024-4-23
27 I flapped my hand, dismissing the matter of outlawry as a minor consideration, compared to the whole monstrous idea. I had one last try. “Does it bother you that I’m not a virgin?” He hesitated a moment before answering. “Well, no,” he said slowly, “so lo 2024-4-23
26 “That he has,” I said dryly. The dirk sc.r.a.ped rhythmically against the stone. Every so often, a faint spark leapt from the metal as it struck a rough patch in the rock. “Weel, in the course of this inquiry, it came out that Jamie’d had the heel of a lo 2024-4-23
25 “Oh, so that’s what they were doing!” I exclaimed. “I wondered,” I added lamely. Captain Randall breathed heavily, then decided against whatever he had been going to say, in favor of continuing his story. “In the midst of this lawful pursuit,” he went on, 2024-4-23
24 It occurred to me, listening to the chorus, that men in a hospital ward seldom really snore. Breathe heavily, yes. They gasp, groan occasionally, and sometimes sob or cry out in sleep. But there was no comparison to this healthy racket. Perhaps it was tha 2024-4-23
23 I sat down near him and leaned back against a rock, watching him a little diffidently. Beyond a brief nod of acknowledgment, he ignored me, completely occupied with inward thoughts of no very pleasant form, to judge from the dark frown on his face. One fo 2024-4-23
22 He surveyed me with a glance that took in every detail of my costume and appearance. “Ye should really be armed yourself, m’dear,” he said in a tone of mild reproof. “Though I suppose Dougal thought it would not be suitable…still. I’ll speak to him about 2024-4-23
21 My gaze met Dougal’s as he also looked down at the hideous wound. His lips moved, mouthing soundlessly over the man’s head the words, “Can he live?” I shook my head mutely. He paused for a moment, holding Geordie, then reached forward and deliberately unt 2024-4-23
20 There was a short speech next, given in Gaelic. This was greeted with periodic roars of approval, and then the oath-taking proper commenced. Dougal MacKenzie was the first man to advance to Colum’s platform. The small rostrum gave Colum enough height that 2024-4-23
19 The villagers, so lately calling for the lad’s blood, were kindness itself to me. I was tenderly gathered up and carried back to the Duncans’ house, where I was plied with brandy, tea, warm blankets, and sympathy. I was only allowed to depart at last by J 2024-4-23
18 The Duncans’ house stood on the square, as behooved the residence of the procurator fiscal. This was a matter of convenience as well as status; the square could be used for those judicial matters which, by reason of public interest or legal necessity, ove 2024-4-23
17 “Nay, he needs a woman, not a girl. And Laoghaire will be a girl when she’s fifty.” The grim old mouth twisted in something like a smile. “Ye may think I’ve lived in a stable all my life, but I had a wife as was a woman, and I ken the difference verra wee 2024-4-23
16 “Oh, aye.” And Jamie launched into what appeared to be a verbatim recitation of the song, translated into English. It was an old ballad, apparently, about a young man who loved a young woman (what else?), but feeling unworthy of her because he was poor, w 2024-4-23
15 There was a large brown gla.s.s jar in the front containing several suspicious-looking b.a.l.l.s, and in view of Beaton’s recipes, I had a good idea what it might be. Turning it around, I triumphantly read the hand-lettered label: DUNGE OF HORSES. Reflect 2024-4-23
14 I now realized that I did recall some things about the actual trip through the stone. Very minor things. I remembered a sensation of physical struggle, as though I were caught in a current of some kind. Yes, I had deliberately fought against it, whatever 2024-4-23
13 Numerous marigolds were scattered throughout the garden, bursting into golden flower. Just then the small lad she had sent in search of Jamie came up, out of breath from the run. He reported that the patient refused to leave his work. “He says,” panted th 2024-4-23
12 I didn’t miss the emphasis laid on “English,” and neither did anyone else in the hall, I was sure. So, I was to be tolerated, but held under suspicion. Had he said French, I would have been considered a friendly, or at worst, neutral intrusion. It might b 2024-4-23
11 “Ah?” he said. “Tell me more.” So, G.o.d help me, I told him more. I gave him in great detail the story of the confrontation between the Scots and Randall’s men, since he would be able to check that with Dougal. I told him the basic facts of my conversati 2024-4-23
10 I laid down my cloth. The nasty part was done; now all we needed was a poultice of some kind—lacking iodine or penicillin, it was the best I could do for infection—and a good tight dressing. Eyes still closed, the young man did not appear to notice. “I ca 2024-4-23
9 “Perhaps we should send her to Ste. Anne, Dougal,” offered one of the blank-faced figures squatting by the road. “I’ve not heard Jamie swear once since we left the coast, and he used to have a mouth on him would put a sailor to shame. Four months in a mon 2024-4-23
8 With no more than a faint c.h.i.n.king of bridles, we moved off into the starlit night. There was no conversation among the men, only a general wary watchfulness. The horses broke into a trot as soon as we reached the road, and I was jostled too uncomfort 2024-4-23
7 “C’mere, la.s.s.” A large, dark-bearded man remained seated at the table by the window as he beckoned me. By his air of command, he seemed to be the leader of this pack. The men parted reluctantly as Murtagh pulled me forward, apparently respecting his ri 2024-4-23
6 There was a deep humming noise coming from somewhere near at hand. I thought there might be a beehive lodged in some crevice of the rock, and placed a hand on the stone in order to lean into the cleft. The stone screamed. I backed away as fast as I could, 2024-4-23
5 I shuddered, and Frank put an arm around me. “There’s a bit of one of his poems left,” he said quietly. “Donald Donn’s. It goes: “Tomorrow I shall be on a hill, without a head. Have you no compa.s.sion for my sorrowful maiden, My Mary, the fair and tender 2024-4-23
4 “Mmm,” I said, setting the cup down. “It’s been a long time since I tasted Oolong.” Mrs. Graham nodded, beaming at my pleasure in her refreshments. She had clearly gone to some trouble, laying out handmade lace mats beneath the eggsh.e.l.l cups and provid 2024-4-23
3 “We had one—rather a crusty old thing really, a piper from the Third Seaforths—who couldn’t stand being stuck, especially not in the hip. He’d go for hours in the most awful discomfort before he’d let anyone near him with a needle, and even then he’d try 2024-4-23
2 “Old Days?” “The ancient feasts,” he explained, still lost in his mental notes. “Hogmanay, that’s New Year’s, Midsummer Day, Beltane and All Hallows’. Druids, Beaker Folk, early Picts, everybody kept the sun feasts and the fire feasts, so far as we know. 2024-4-23
1 PART ONE Inverness, 1945 1 A NEW BEGINNING It wasn’t a very likely place for disappearances, at least at first glance. Mrs. Baird’s was like a thousand other Highland bed-and-breakfast establishments in 1945; clean and quiet, with fading floral wallpaper, 2024-4-23