A little check in back in the 20th century:
Frank decided to take a break for his research and walked into the kitchen, he expected to see Claire standing around uselessly while Mrs. Graham did all the real work but only found one lady standing in the kitchen and it was not his wife.
He looked around the door and on the other side of the fridge thinking there was some corner of the room she had just blended into, but she was not here.
"Where is my wife? I just heard you speaking to her?" He demanded to know.
"Oh," Mrs. Graham turned around pretending he had caught her off guard, she looked around as if she was also searching for Claire,
"Dear me, I don't know I thought she was just behind me... how silly of me."
He tried to stare her down hoping to see her crack under his gaze but the dumb dolt of a face never wavered, she was clueless.
He stalked outside thinking maybe she had slipped out for a cigarette, she should have told him of her whereabouts she knew better then to just walk outside without his permission by now but he supposed it was an understandable slip up if she had really been in need of a smoke.
Outside she wasn't immediately by the stoop which is the furthest he could imagine her going without telling him, he stepped further out into the yard and looked around for her but saw no sign.
Perhaps she had to use the restroom and was still inside?
He checked all bathrooms inside the house but could not find her, his temper was starting to rise as he made his excuses and raced over to the inn they had been staying needing to see if her suitcase was gone. He swore if she had been dumb enough to leave him, to disrespect him in such a way, she would pay dearly for it every day for the rest of her miserable life, he would see to it.
Barging into the room hoping to catch her in the deceitful and sinful act of running from her husband he disappointedly found the room to be exactly like the two had left it earlier. All of her things were still here, even a photo of herself and her uncle and a bracelet that had once belonged to her mother... she wouldn't have left that behind, where was she?
A/N: I know Yorkshire, is never mentioned but to me it was slightly more believable she made it to Scotland from there than from London or Oxfordshire
Claire POV:
It seemed our journey was coming to an end, despite being completely out of my element, out of my bloody time even, I was happy. At least my sore muscles would soon be happy. I didn't know how I would be able to do any of this, the language, the customs, the hygiene, but suddenly the world seemed full of endless possibilities. Logically I knew I was still in tremendous amounts of danger, I was a "sassernach," as Jamie called me and would not be trusted easily here, and I certainly couldn't trust the British not to hand me over to Randall either so I was determined to make the most of things here. I mean I wasn't completely useless, with my background in medicine and herbs I'm sure I'd be able to help many, truthfully I looked forward to being able to make a difference again.
"Dougal, you're back early, man."
Residents came and welcomed back the men,
A short jolly woman came bursting forward, she behaved like she was mamma hen to these dirty roosters and proud to be it.
"Rupert, m'dear! How good to see ye! Oh, my dear." Rupert gave her a big kiss seeming just as pleased to see her as she was him.
"Ye'll all be needing breakfast, I reckon, plenty in the kitchen. Away in, and feed yerselves." She instructed the men.
She noticed me next as Jamie helped me off our horse, he told me she was Mistress Fitzgibbons, she was Murtaugh's (his godfather) aunt through marriage, something told me I'd have to start keeping notes to keep everyone's relations straight in my mind.
"And what do we have here?" She asks looking me up and down,
"Claire Beauchamp, Mistress Fitzgibbons." I say, introducing myself.
"Murtagh found her, and Dougal said we must bring her along with us, so..." Jamie explains, causing me to feel a little self conscience, he described me like a stray they picked up in the middle of the road, was that really all he thought of me?
"Well Claire, come with me, we shall find you something to eat and something fresh to be changin' inta."
I paused, instead of following her, even if I wasn't feeling particularly warm towards Jamie after that introduction he still needed my care,
"Well, what about him?" I asked looking back to Jamie,
"I can fend for myself." He said trying to dismiss my concern.
"No, you're hurt." I tell him, "He was shot a day before yesterday and has been bleeding since, I need to properly see to the wound or it will become infected."
She gave be a confused look and I amended my words,
"I mean, inflamed...umm you know, with with fever and swelling."
"Oh, aye." She said still looking at him as though I had sprouted another head, "I ken fine what ye mean...
But do you mean to say you know what to do for that? Are ye a charmer, then? A Beaton?" She asked.
I nodded, "Something like that." Her face changed slightly at my confirmation, she was still wary of me but there was something else there now, I couldn't quite pin it down but it was much warmer than whatever she had been feeling towards me before.
"Jamie, Ye heard the lady, ye need tending. This way,
let's get you out of the rain."
Jamie POV:
"As you asked, garlic and witch hazel to boil the rags.
I also brought you comfrey and cherry bark for the pain."
"Perfect."
"Call out if you need anything else."
I tuned out and focused on the fire as Claire and I were left alone. I knew the lass would be needin to get at my wound and I would likely have to loose my shirt, I dinna relish the idea of her seein my back, of trying to hold back her disgust at me.
I swear I left mah body for a moment holdin' meh breath till it was over and I wouldna have to see the look of pity on her face.
I was thrown back into my body when I felt her hand on me, no one had touched my scars, it was strange... I knew where her hands were and that she was being gentle but it was impossible to feel more through the layers of dead skin.
"The Redcoats." I explained, clearing my throat, "Flogged me twice in the space of a week. They'd have done it twice the same day, I expect, were they not afraid of killing me... there's no joy in flogging a dead man."
I ment ta be sayin that last bit just ta myself but it was clear she heard me,
"I shouldn't think anyone would do such a thing for joy... which leads me to believe this was the work of a Randall."
a Randall, she said... it was a strange way to put it.
"Hmph, well, If Randall was not precisely joyous, he was at least very pleased with himself." I told her.
I waited for more questions but none came,
"Aren't ya gonna ask me why I was flogged?"
She was silent for a moment, perhaps considering her words, "No, you can tell me if you wish, but I'am certain nothing you did or were charged with doing would justify this."
I hated talking about that day... I did everything I could to even avoid thinking about it, but strangely I found myself wanting to share it with her.
"I was tryin to escape prison... I had been brought in on obstruction charges."
"Obstruction? What's that? It doesn't sound like a serious crime." She asked me.
"Ah, well, I suppose it's whatever the English say it is, it was near to four years ago now. They put a levy on all the land-holders in the county, sent out small parties of soldiers collecting food, horses for transport, and suchlike." I started going back to that day that had started all my troubles off,
"Aye, it was one day in October, Captain Randall came along to our place...my father was away, he'd gone to a funeral. I was up in the fields when I heard shouting."
I told her about Jenny, what Randall did to her, how I'd been too weak to stop it.
"When I woke up, I was trussed up in the wagon with the chickens, jolting down the road to Fort William."
"I'm so sorry." She told me, but I didn't feel like she was just sayin the words, it felt deeper than that, like she somehow understood, "That must have been terrible for you."
"Oh, aye, chickens are very poor company." I tried to joke, getting nervous about how quickly I wanted to bare myself to this sassernach.
"Don't do that, we don't have to talk if you don't want to, but don't hide from me. We're not so different you know... my scars might not be so visible as yours but trust me they are there."
"You have your own Randall then?" I asked, "That husband you were tellin me about?"
"Frank." She nodded, disappearing into her thoughts now just as I had done.
"He fooled me, made me feel safe and wanted at first but then slowly he changed. It was like I could see his soul slowly turning to black right in front of me. He tormented me, sought to destroy every part of me until there was nothing left, each day with him felt like a struggle for air." She spoke and each word passed her lips had been wanted to dig up this Frank and kill him all over again.
"Claire?" I gently tried to get her attention, not wishing to see her thoughts go any darker behind those pretty eyes,
She didn't respond already getting lost in memories I wished to be able to save her from,
"Claire! Mistress, !" Finally I got up and took her into my arms bringing her back into the present. Once she realized where she was again she lunged herself into my arms and I was glad to hold her here tight.
I heard a sob break free from her and my good arm crushed her body closer,
"Shh shh, therhh. Do not cry... no, shh."
"I'm sorry." She told me pulling away to wipe clear her tears, my arms felt bereft and ached to have her body near again.
"I canna undo what ye suffered but I promise yah, you need not be scared of me. Nor anyone else here, so long as I'm with ye." I swore to her.
"When you're not with me?" She asked.
"Just never forget that you're English in a place where that's no a pretty thing to be." I didn't want to scare her but she had to know the dangers here, but meant what I said... as long as I could help it she would never come to any harm again.
Claire POV:
The next day I found myself in the Laird's chambers,
"I welcome ye, mistress. My name is Colum Ban Campbell Mackenzie, Laird of this castle."
He was an older man, with badly disfigured legs, I schooled my eyes and quickly bowed, not knowing what else to do.
"It was my understanding that my brother and his men found you in some apparent distress." He remarked, I had to bite my tongue knowing if I wished to stay he was the one I needed to win over.
"Yes, I was attacked and nearly raped by one of the soldiers of King George II." I explained.
"And other than this, uh, this near rape, you suffered no further molestation?" You mean beside the rock to the head?
"No." I tilted my head down, "Please extend my gratitude to your brother for his kind escort." I said with as much reverence as I could muster.
"Yes, of corse, I do myself however wish to know how exactly a lady such as yourself came to be wandering about in the woods, it's interesting."
Okay, come on Beauchamp sell it.
"I was running away from my husband in Yorkshire, I was certain it was only a matter of time before he killed me and I thought to go to the last place anyone would think to look for an Englishwoman."
"And do you expect to continue to hide from your husband here?"
"Through my... encounter with Captain Randall I learned my husband has passed. However even though I have no need to run from him, I would be very grateful to stay here, I'm sure I could be of use to you and your people, I have a background in medicine if you needed a healer here."
"Yes, Mrs. Fitz mention something about that, I suppose it has been a long time since we've had a healer here. Maybe you can stay for a trial period."
"I would be very grateful," I told him bowing again.
and I would, if I could make a life here, I would be very grateful indeed.