Let the wee one eat a bit of orange and then she falls asleep again. A feeling that the winds are coming in. All the way from my father’s croft to here. Think about my mother. I couldn’t protect her from him. I won’t make that mistake again. What to do next time Mr Udnam does it? My ma said: only love a man who reads books and understands them properly. If they don’t read books don’t go to their bed. Ever! It wasn’t them she wanted, it was what they knew. My mother thought if she found out enough, one day she’d come across a way to turn an evil man good.

I know better.

A small glass is slid across the table to me and I smile without looking up.

Pick it up and drink.

– I have a dagger in my stockings if you want to kill him.

– What are you doing here, Elise? I left ye asleep. Yer sisters called.

Elise kisses me.

She peeks at Hope, joins me at my side of the table, nods for two more drinks. Elise takes my hand and places it on her thigh. There is indeed a dagger. She grins so wide and wicked that I may have to marry her before sundown to save our immortal souls.

– We’ll have to go this time. We can’t let him do that to you again. I mean it, Elise.

– I know.

– Are you sore?

– I’m okay.

She is lying to me so I don’t feel her pain.

– Where will we live?

– In a boat, middle ay the sea. Ye got a boat, Jessie?

– Not a boat really, I wouldn’t call it that, no.

– What ye got?

– More like a small vessel. If it’s still there after all these years.

– Grand.

– I’m not sure three of us will fit in there, Elise.

– We can squeeze up!

– It’s not appropriate fir raising a respectable young family, this vessel.

– It’s the right one fir us then.

Elise is looking directly into me. We have both been avoiding the truth of our situation. He numbs us with things to smoke and wear and sleep and eat and time passes. We think of Hope and how to provide for her somewhere else and we stay another day.

– It can’t go on, Elise, I won’t let it.

– I know.

Elise’s eyes are purple until the iris and then they are navy blue, like the line of the horizon. I can see us sailing into that blue in my old coffin. No white teardrop lake with spirals of blood. It would be clear skies. One healthy, funny, crazy toddler and Elise up front, catching fish. I would show them tides and moons, skies and seas.

We can seek another shore to take us.

Three policemen in uniforms appear at the front of the bar.

Mr Udnam’s spies.