SPOILER: The MacNeills are missing from church, so Claire organizes a group of women to check on them. When they arrive at their cabin, there is a terrible stench and everyone in the family is deathly ill. They have gotten into bad water a contracted the "bloody flux", amoebic dysentery. Mrs. MacNeill and the baby die. More cases are soon reported in the area which keep Claire busy to the point of dropping. She finally collapses and has to be carried to her bed. Malva, who is very dedicated to her, will not leave her side. After a week of fevered dreams, Claire regains consciousness and is lucid. Bree happily reports that she is pregnant. Jamie eventually finds a dead elk in the river that supplies water to the disease-ridden families. Tom Christie is showing symptoms of illness, so Claire asks him for a stool sample to investigate. He is disgusted with her request. Shortly after that, Tom arrives with Malva in tow. She, too, is pregnant but refuses to identify the father. She is subsequently pressed to identify the guilty party as Jamie. She insists that Jamie coupled with her dozens of times while I was tending Claire. Claire is so upset at this, having had a fevered recollection of seeing Malva put a hand on Jamie's shoulder, that she needs some air. Jamie finds her in the barn. He tells her that there is something he needs to confess. He dredges up the time he was hiding in the cave in Scotland to prevent being captured by the Redcoats. Mary McNabb came and gave him comfort one time when she was in need of it, too. But he had nothing to do with Malva. Most of the Ridge folk hear of Malva's shocking revelation and are quick to believe it. Claire faces Malva and tells he she believes in Jamie's assertion that he has not lain with her. Malva's brother Allan spreads rumors that Claire is a witch. Ian reveals to Claire that the baby could be his. With Jamie away at the local congress talks, some of the Ridge residents talk about a rebellion. Jamie returns and says he was not selected for the Philadelphia Convention because of his reported indiscretions. Claire resorts to a dose of ether to quell her racing thoughts. When she has awakened, she finds Malva has been murdered in the garden. She tries vainly to save Malva's baby by C-section.
