Jamie wakes amongst a field of bodies on Culloden moor and disjointedly recalls the events leading up to his situation. Rupert eventually finds Jamie on the battlefield; he and Ross take him back to a cottage to take shelter with other wounded Scotsmen. The British eventually locate the men. They are to be shot as traitors to the king. When Jamie's turn comes, the commanding officer recognizes his name. The officer is the older brother of the boy who tried to kill Jamie before Prestonpans, and the officer arranges to send Jamie back to Lallybroch to die in order to discharge the debt of honor his family owes the Laird of Broch Turach.

Claire tries to start a new life in Boston with Frank, but struggles to open up to him during her pregnancy. She also feels stifled by American post war expectations of the role of women, causing further tension with her 20th century husband. Every time their relationship seems to take a step forward something happens to remind them of the past and sets them back even further then they were before. This culminates with Brianna's birth and Claire and Frank renewing their pledge that life in Boston is a new start for their family, only for the nurse to question where the baby got red hair from.