The Fiery Cross

A few days after the return home, a man named Hermon Husband, one of the leaders of the Regulator movement, comes to Fraser’s Ridge. Husband delivers a message to Jamie from Governor Tryon: Tryon orders Jamie to bring his militia to Salisbury, a location where some Regulator forces have gathered. Jamie questions why Husband faithfully delivered the message when it was not in his best interest to do so. Husband explains that if someone is going to fight against the Regulators, he would rather it be men led by Jamie, who might be inclined to be merciful. Husband also defends the Regulators’ cause, and Jamie explains that while he may personally be sympathetic, he needs to obey Tryon’s orders. Jamie and Husband part on good terms.

Brianna takes Roger into the woods to teach him how to shoot a rifle. The two of them talk about Roger’s regret and sadness that Brianna’s cousin, Ian Murray (the son of Jamie’s sister, Jenny) took Roger’s place and went to live with the Mohawk people. Roger had been held prisoner by them and was rescued by Claire, Jamie, and Ian in a village called Snaketown. Everyone, including Brianna, misses Ian deeply.

Claire checks Roger’s vision and posits that he lacks binocular vision, which may impact his ability to become a skilled shooter. Claire doesn’t think this will seriously impact Roger’s ability to hunt or participate in the militia. Roger also expresses curiosity about whether this trait might be passed down to Jemmy, revealing that he remains invested in knowing if the baby is his biological son.

Jamie, Roger, and the adult men from Fraser’s Ridge depart to begin gathering the militia. Claire notices a strange wooden cross erected outside the house and knows that Jamie must have fashioned it. She later runs into Jamie in the woods and watches him pray.

Jamie explains to Claire that “the fiery cross” is a Highland tradition: When a Highland chief calls his men to war, he sets the cross alight, extinguishes it, and then carries it with him as he travels, “a sign to the men of the clan to fetch their weapons and come to the gathering place, prepared for battle” (344). Jamie reflects on the differences in leadership and loyalty between Scotland and North America; in the colonies, men do not owe him fealty and may or may not choose to follow him.

Jamie also points out that, because of his knowledge of the future, he must carefully balance his loyalties. For now, it is important to remain in favor with the ruling British officials, but since he and Claire know that the North American colonies will eventually achieve independence, he must lay the groundwork to build loyalties with the rebels.

Roger returns home after his first day of gathering men for the militia. Brianna explains that Jamie is going to burn the cross at a gathering that night and wants Roger, who is a skilled musician, to sing a specific selection of songs, intended to stir up sentiment in preparation for military activity.

Roger sings at the gathering, and Jamie addresses the men who have come. He explains the ritual and then sets the cross alight. The group will ride at dawn the next day.

Claire is going with the militia in her capacity as a healer, and she and Jamie discuss their impending departure. Claire is excited because of “the delightful prospect of escape from laundry, cookery, and female warfare” (368). Jamie has written a letter to Lord John Grey, a longtime friend, providing updates on all the news from Fraser’s Ridge. Jamie explains that while he does not think the conflict with the Regulators will be serious, there is always the possibility of injury or death. He entrusts Grey to care for his family should anything happen to him. Jamie also reveals that he has previously asked Grey for information about Stephen Bonnet and doesn’t plan to follow Grey’s advice to stop looking for the man.

As the militia makes its way toward Salisbury, they camp in the woods. Claire is startled by a nighttime encounter with a young boy named Josiah Beardsley, who met Claire and Jamie at the Gathering and agreed to come and live at Fraser’s Ridge in the new year. Josiah is evasive about why he was lurking in the woods and has a mark branding him as a thief. Josiah attempts to run away into the woods, but Jamie pursues him. The next morning, Jamie returns to camp with Josiah and the latter’s identical twin brother, Keziah. Jamie burns Josiah’s thumb, obscuring the brand that marked him as a thief.

Jamie explains to Claire what Josiah Beardsley has confided to him. Josiah and Keziah immigrated to the colonies as very young children; the rest of their family died during the voyage. The two boys were sold as indentured servants, taking their surname from the man they worked for. They lived miserable lives, and at one point, Josiah was branded after stealing some food. He eventually escaped but remained determined to free his brother. After the offer of moving to Fraser’s Ridge, Josiah made plans to rescue his brother. The previous night, Jamie helped Josiah to do so, which is why both boys are now in the Fraser camp.

Jamie sends Roger ahead with the militia, including Josiah and Keziah, while he and Claire go to the Beardsley farm. The farm has a sinister and isolated atmosphere; Fanny Beardsley is initially hostile and evasive when Claire and Jamie ask to speak with her husband. Eventually, they find Aaron Beardsley, who suffered a stroke about one month earlier and has lain paralyzed ever since.

Fanny has kept him alive but done little to keep him clean or comfortable. She reveals that since he abused her during their marriage, she wanted him to suffer in turn. When Fanny believes that Claire is going to heal her husband, she tries to kill him herself. Claire and Jamie discuss how, even with the medical assistance she can provide, Aaron Beardsley will need an amputation and will live a life filled with suffering. After obtaining Aaron’s consent, Jamie shoots and kills him, providing a fast and humane death.

Meanwhile, Roger leads the militia into the nearby town of Brownsville. He is surprised when someone begins firing shots at them. With help from Fergus, Roger confronts the attackers and learns their motive: Isaiah Morton, one of the men who is now part of the militia, previously had a romantic relationship with a young woman named Alicia Brown. Alicia’s father Lionel and uncle Richard disapproved of the relationship and threatened to kill Morton if he ever approached Alicia.

Claire and Jamie prepare to leave the Beardsley Farm, and Fanny insists on coming with them. She mentions that she believes the farm is haunted by one of Beardsley’s previous wives. She is his fifth wife and believes that he is responsible for the deaths of his previous wives. On the road, they encounter a cougar. After being delayed and losing their way, they decide to camp in the woods and find the main path in the morning.

Back at Fraser’s Ridge, Brianna is frustrated by the constant squabbling of a house crowded with women and young children. She finds a letter that John Grey has sent to Jamie; in it, he mentions that, as instructed by Jamie, he has been watching for any mention of Stephen Bonnet. Grey reports that Bonnet has been working as a smuggler and has displayed notable cruelty in several confrontations. Grey also points out that since Bonnet is not making any real effort to hide, he must have powerful allies protecting him. Grey cautions Jamie to be very cautious about pursuing such a dangerous man.

Claire and Jamie awaken to the cries of a newborn baby. Fanny Beardsley gave birth in the middle of the night and then disappeared. Claire and Jamie are astonished that neither of them noticed that she was pregnant; she disguised her pregnancy under heavy and shapeless clothing. They rush to get the baby to Brownsville, hoping to obtain food and shelter. Claire notices that the baby has a birthmark typically associated with African ancestry and surmises that Fanny’s baby was not fathered by her husband.

In Brownsville, Fergus explains the conflict between Isaiah Morton and the Browns. While it would be simplest if Morton left, he refuses to do so because he wants the money from serving in the militia. Morton is currently hiding, and the Browns do not know that he is still in the town. It has also come to light that Morton already has a wife, which means he cannot offer to mend the rift by marrying Alicia.

The Brown family begins to take care of the tiny baby. When Claire catches Alicia alone, she mentions that Morton is already married. Alicia is devastated and confides that she is pregnant. She hints that she would like Claire to help her terminate the pregnancy. However, this conversation is cut short when Jamie and the other men receive word that Governor Tryon has ordered them to stand down and return home. The Regulators have retreated, and there is no immediate need for the militia.

As they prepare to return home, Jamie asks Claire if she would like to bring the infant with them. He reassures her that it is not necessary; the baby will be legally treated as Aaron Beardsley’s heir even if it can be confirmed that Fanny was having an affair. Reassured that the child will be fine, Claire agrees to leave her in Brownsville.

They run into Morton, surprised that he has not already departed; he is endangered so long as he remains in town. Morton is insistent on seeing Alicia and even more so when he learns that she is pregnant. Eventually, Claire and Jamie help Alicia and Morton to meet. That night, Alicia and Morton run away together.