December 20th 1948
Third Person POV
Almost as soon as Elizabeth had told her that Jamie had made it off of the battlefield at Culloden, Claire had been planning her way back to the past. She had made a dress for herself, ensured that she had money and accurate maps, as well as sandwiches and breakfast oat bars for the trip from Craigh Na Dun to Lallybroch.
On the day of her leaving, she got up early and bathed, making sure to wash her hair and comb it. She had taken everything that was precious to her and packaged it, ready to be sent across to Frank, who had moved to America. She didn't know what he would do with it, but she had also written him a letter, and she hoped that he would have children in the future who he could give things like her jewellery too.
She read through her letter to Frank one final time.
Dearest Frank,
When we said goodbye last, I thought that would be the last time - but I have since learned of some very shocking news, and for this reason, I must say goodbye again. I cannot confide in you, as much as I would like to - I want so badly to tell you the entire truth of my disappearance, but I fear that you would hate me for lying to you and ending our marriage for it, or for not telling you in the first place... so I will not tell you.
But I am leaving, and this is our final goodbye. By the time you receive this, I will be back amongst family and friends again, though I know that you do not understand what I mean by this.
I have left the house to a descendant of its original owners - Elizabeth Fraser - yes, of James Fraser. She was my housekeeper, and whilst she is young, I have complete confidence in her. I have written her a letter saying goodbye too, and left strict instructions that, should you ever stop by, you are to be given the best treatment and all free of charge.
And finally, I want to apologise to you, Frank. I disappeared loving you, and I came back a changed woman. I am sorry that we did not work out and that we did not last. For many years, I saw a complete future with you, but alas it was not meant to be. A small part of me, however, will always love you and want the best of you. I am sending you everything that was ever precious to me, and hope that one day you will have a daughter or somebody to give it all to.
Eternally,
Claire
She wiped her eyes, tears threatening to spill onto the paper and ruin her words. It was somehow everything that she wanted to say and not enough, but Claire didn't have enough time to rewrite it or ponder on her words. She had to set to work on Elizabeth's letter.
Elizabeth's mother, Claire had learned since she had begun working for her, had died in childbirth with her, and her father had been hit by a car four years previously. The young girl had become something of a surrogate daughter to Claire in just under a month - Claire thought the world of her. Elizabeth was as important to Claire as Frank was.
Dearest Elizabeth,
I am sorry to have to tell you this through pen and paper and would have liked to do so in person, but there is simply not enough time, tears nor words for me to do so. By the time that you read this letter, I will have gone. I cannot tell you where I am going, other than that I am going home.
I will not be back, and will not need Lallybroch or the money that it brings in - I have left the house and the lands around it to you, the deed is in the office in the top drawer. I do hope that you love this house like I do, and that you do with it whatever makes you happy because that is all that I want for you.
I can think of so many things to tell you, Elizabeth, but I will settle for some advice and a final wish; should a man named Frank Randall ever come to stay, treat him as family - he is. He is my family. We were married once, but parted on good terms. And my advice to you is to take what life throws at you and run with it, good or bad. Sometimes you'll find yourself surprised with what you can make of the best of a bad situation.
Wishing you the best for the future,
Claire Beauchamp
Claire sealed both envelopes and pocketed Frank's one, leaving Elizabeth's on the dining table where she knew that the girl would find it. Claire went into the downstairs hallway and donned the 1740s-style coat that she had made for herself, and then she left, making sure that she had Frank's package, too.
She walked to the town, which wasn't too far at all - it took her an hour. She first posted the letter and parcel before she got into a taxi.
"To Craigh Na Dun." Claire told the cab driver clearly.
"Craigh Na Dun?" The cab driver echoed, "are ye sure?" She nodded at him in the mirror above his head. "No one's up there. Are ye meeting someone? A friend, maybe?"
Claire shook her head. "It's just me." She paused, "and I'd be much obliged if you didn't enquire as to my comings and goings anymore."
He was quiet after that, and drove her the (almost) two hours to the stone circle.
When they arrived, the cab driver stopped at the bottom of the hill where the stones were. "I'm sorry about that, madam," he said, "do ye want me to come back for ye in a few hours?"
She shook her head, "no thank you."
"Are ye sure ye'll be a'right?"
Claire nodded, "quite fine." She reached into her purse and pulled out the right amount of money for the fare - more than she had probably spent on all the taxi journeys up until that point in her life.
As she got out of the car, the cab driver took his first proper look at her attire; a Jacobean-era dress and long cloak-like coat.
However, he didn't ask about it, nor even raise an eyebrow.
"Well," he said, "have a nice day..." he then got back into the taxi and started its engine. Claire began to hike up the hill, hitching up her skirts. In the few months that she had been back in the twentieth century, she had forgotten quite how tiresome it was to haul such vast amounts of material around with her all of the time.
When she eventually reached the top, she was sweating a lot. Claire wished that she had brought some water with her, but she had overlooked it in her haste to get back home to her family. Claire took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and then she listened very carefully...
And there it was.
The familiar buzzing of the stones.
"I'm coming..." She said quietly as she slowly made her way to the central stone. It was as tall as she remembered - not that she had expected it to change - but it was familiar. Everything about this was, in fact. Claire inhaled deeply and then closed her eyes, raising both hands and placing them against the stone.
For a few seconds, the stone was cool against her palms and she feared that she wouldn't be able to go back at all...
But then the whirring started, and Claire was lifted off of her feet and thrown through the air and back through time.
꧙꧙꧙꧙꧙꧙
December 20th 1746
Claire awoke many hours later, her head aching. She quickly concluded that she must have hit it when she landed. The back of her dress was wet, and there was snow falling around her - although she wasn't covered in a white blanket so it couldn't have been falling for long. Claire stood up and dusted herself down as best she could and then shivered. Despite her endeavours to make her coat as thick and warm as possible, she had stupidly not thought about it being waterproof - how had I overlooked that? She thought as she looked around her. Nothing had changed, and yet everything had. Behind her, she couldn't see the twinkling nights of the town that Inverness had been in her time. The air smelt more crisp, too, though she concluded that this could have been down to the sharp cold in the air.
Claire went down the hill and began the long walk to Inverness, where she hoped that she would find food, a horse and somewhere to sleep for a few hours before she set off for Lallybroch.
By the time she had reached Inverness, several hours later, Claire was exhausted. She managed to find herself an inn and fall into the bed of the room that she had rented, not even bothering to undress before she drifted off to sleep.
When Claire awoke later that afternoon, she went to buy a horse. Claire found one very quickly, and its owner assured her that it was a good and healthy stallion. She was sure that the man would have said anything to a woman, so took it upon herself to inspect the horse herself - she had learnt enough from Jamie in her years with him to know roughly what to look for in a healthy horse.
Pleasantly, she found that the horse was in good shape. She asked the man how much, and then bartered with him the way that she had seen Jamie do previously. The price didn't lower much because she was a woman, but it came down to a good enough price that Claire knew she was getting a decent deal on the animal. She paid the man and then took it to the stable in the little town, paying for it to be hobbled and looked after whilst she went to find something to eat and a shop to buy her provisions at.
A few hours later, she returned and mounted the horse. The chill was picking up, so she wrapped her cloak more tightly around herself. She checked her map and made sure she knew what road to take and then she started her journey.