Night Watch: A Novel

Dearbhla watches Papa and ConaLee leave with the chap, ConaLee’s younger brother. Dearbhla came home one day two years prior and found Papa at Eliza’s house, acting like he owned it. Dearbhla sensed the “madness” of the man, who told her to take ConaLee. Eliza told Dearbhla that Papa took the guns and that she knew him from during the war. Dearbhla found Eliza tied to her chicken coop one day, and she realized that Eliza did not have the power to free herself from Papa. Dearbhla helped deliver the chap, and she taught ConaLee how to care for the child.

Dearbhla goes in the see Eliza while Papa is gone and tries to get Eliza to speak. Eliza does not talk to remove some of Papa’s enjoyment from torturing her. Sometimes Dearbhla can see Papa playing with Eliza like a doll. After a year, Eliza is pregnant again, and ConaLee delivers and cares for the twins, too. Dearbhla goes to town and trades with a storekeeper, giving him herbs for provisions. The storekeeper wants to send his wife to an asylum, and Dearbhla gives him a potion to make her sleep in exchange for extra supplies for ConaLee.