Chapter 3 Summary

Merricat feels that a change is coming, but she thinks that Constance and Julian are unaware of it. She is very superstitious and feels that there are omens and signs pointing toward the change. On Sunday mornings, Merricat makes sure that all of her safeguards are in place. She has buried items all over the Blackwood property and she has nailed one of her father's books to a tree to keep evil away. She checks the perimeter of the property for problems with the fence and repairs any areas that need attention.

On Saturdays Constance works in her garden and preserving fruit. The cellar is full of preserves made by Constance and others of the Blackwood women who are now deceased. Some of the preserves were made by the girls' great-grandmothers, so they are no longer safe to eat, but they line the...