An ambitious woman's pregnancy becomes the focus of desire, paternity confusion, and supernatural retaliation in an isolated Irish valley.
Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
The Valley and the Cottage
Liffey arrives in an isolated Irish valley to pursue an architectural project. Richard's gift of a ruined cottage and land connects her new home to Molly's past.
Key Events
Liffey Enters the Valley — Liffey moves to an isolated and eerie Irish valley. Characters: LiffeyLocation: Remote Irish valley
Architectural Ambition — Liffey plans to build a modern piece of architecture. Characters: LiffeyLocation: Irish valley
Richard Gives the Property — Richard gives Liffey the ruined cottage and land. Characters: Liffey, RichardLocation: Ruined cottage and surrounding land
Molly's Former Home — The property is revealed as Molly's former home. Characters: Liffey, MollyLocation: Ruined cottage
The Farming Household — Molly is established as the matriarch of a nearby farming family. Characters: Molly, Mabs TuckerLocation: Farm across the woods
Molly Practices Black Magic — Molly is identified as an active practitioner of black magic. Characters: MollyLocation: Farm across the woods
Pregnancy and Paternity
Liffey sleeps with Richard and Tucker before becoming pregnant. The resulting uncertainty leads people to assume that Tucker is the father.
Key Events
Liffey and Richard Together — Liffey sleeps with Richard, her fiancé. Characters: Liffey, RichardLocation: Ruined cottage
Liffey and Tucker Together — Liffey also sleeps with Tucker, complicating the pregnancy's paternity. Characters: Liffey, Mabs TuckerLocation: Irish valley
Liffey Becomes Pregnant — Liffey becomes pregnant after sleeping with Richard and Tucker. Characters: Liffey, Richard, Mabs TuckerLocation: Irish valley
Paternity Is Assumed — People believe Tucker is the father of Liffey's baby. Characters: Liffey, Mabs TuckerLocation: Farm across the woods
A Son Is Desired — The farming family conflict centers on the desire for a boy to inherit the farm. Characters: Molly, Mabs TuckerLocation: Farm across the woods
The Supernatural Threat
The farming family's desire for a boy becomes entangled with black magic. Liffey's pregnancy is treated as an obstacle, and a lethal spell is directed against it.
Key Events
Black Magic Grants a Boy — Molly uses black magic in an attempt to produce a baby boy. Characters: MollyLocation: Farm across the woods
Liffey Becomes the Threat — Liffey's pregnancy becomes connected to the family's fears and desires. Characters: Liffey, Molly, Mabs TuckerLocation: Land between the cottage and farm
A Lethal Spell Is Planned — Molly joins a plan to attack Liffey's pregnancy with magic. Characters: Liffey, MollyLocation: Farm across the woods
The Miscarriage Deception — The spell is intended to kill Liffey's baby while appearing to cause a miscarriage. Characters: Liffey, MollyLocation: Ruined cottage
The Spell Takes Hold — Liffey faces the lethal supernatural attack against her pregnancy. Characters: Liffey, MollyLocation: Ruined cottage
Resistance in the Cottage
The magical attack threatens Liffey's unborn child and is meant to resemble a miscarriage. Liffey receives help and successfully fights the spell.
Key Events
Help Reaches Liffey — Liffey receives help from an elder daughter in resisting the spell. Characters: LiffeyLocation: Ruined cottage
The Spell Is Defeated — Liffey successfully fights off the magical attack. Characters: Liffey, MollyLocation: Ruined cottage
A Divided Resolution
Liffey's pregnancy survives the supernatural assault. The farming family eventually reaches its own pregnancy outcome with a boy.
Key Events
Pregnancy Survives — The attempted magical miscarriage does not end Liffey's pregnancy. Characters: LiffeyLocation: Irish valley
A Boy Is Finally Conceived — The farming family finally receives the news of a pregnancy with a boy. Characters: MollyLocation: Farm across the woods
Story Breakdown
Valley Arrival — Liffey enters the remote valley and begins a new architectural project.
Remote Irish Setting — Liffey moves to an isolated and eerie Irish valley.
Modern Building Plan — She intends to build a modern piece of architecture.
The Gifted Cottage — Richard's gift gives Liffey a home, but the property carries Molly's history.
Richard's Gift — Richard gives Liffey the ruined cottage and its land.
Molly's Former Home — The property is identified as Molly's former home.
Complicated Intimacy — Liffey's relationships with Richard and Tucker create the conditions for the pregnancy conflict.
Richard Encounter — Liffey sleeps with her fiancé Richard.
Tucker Encounter — Liffey also sleeps with Tucker, creating paternity uncertainty.
Pregnancy Conflict — Liffey becomes pregnant while the surrounding household interprets the pregnancy through its own expectations.
Paternity Assumption — People believe Tucker is the father of Liffey's baby.
Heir Anxiety — The desire for a boy to inherit the farm intensifies the conflict.
Black Magic Retaliation — Molly's magic shifts from seeking a desired child to attacking Liffey's pregnancy.
Boy Through Magic — Black magic is used in an attempt to produce a baby boy.
Lethal Pregnancy Spell — A spell is directed at Liffey's baby and designed to resemble a miscarriage.
Cottage Resistance — Liffey faces the supernatural attack and receives help in resisting it.
Threatened Pregnancy — The magical attack places Liffey's unborn child in danger.
Spell Defeated — Liffey successfully fights off the spell with assistance.
Divided Resolution — Liffey's pregnancy survives while the farming family reaches its own desired pregnancy outcome.
Liffey Survives — The attempted magical miscarriage does not end Liffey's pregnancy.
A Boy Conceived — The farming family finally has a pregnancy with a boy.
Architect Liffey moves to the Irish countryside with her American fiancé, Richard, to refurbish a long-abandoned cottage. Their neighbours are elderly Molly Tucker and her adult daughter, Mabs, who has three daughters but wants a son. After Richard returns to New York City, Liffey learns she's pregnant, which angers Molly and Mabs. Convinced Liffey has the baby her daughter deserves, Molly tries to use black magic to eliminate the fetus.
