Richard leads Cordelia, Hester, and Imogene into Evermore House's former ballroom, which his late grandfather converted into a vast, chaotic hoard of books rather than an organized library. Faced with towering, disorganized stacks, the group resigns themselves to searching for any text that might reveal a way to stop sorcery. A tuxedo mouser cat briefly visits before they settle in to read.

By midafternoon they have made no progress. Imogene complains that almost any book might prove relevant, and Cordelia drifts through a folktale collection. Hester gloomily remarks that Evangeline will outlive their search.

Willard, Hester's butler, unexpectedly arrives. He reports that Evangeline, the new Lady Chatham, dismissed him before leaving on her honeymoon. Hester begins to protest furiously, then realizes Chatham House is no longer hers to command. Willard came to inquire whether Hester would set up her own household and have a place for him; he has persuaded Jack, the stablemaster with whom he has an understanding, to wait before quitting.

Richard regrets he cannot displace his own butler but suggests they will find a position. Willard offers his organizational skills for the present task and asks to finally be told what is happening. He accepts the explanation of sorcery without protest, declaring that the group's belief is sufficient grounds to act.

Willard takes charge, instructing them to triage books into useless, possibly useful, and definitely useful piles, with Hester reading the most promising volumes because she is fast and her knee hurts. He reveals that the Chatham House staff suspected Hester and Richard were planning to elope and rescue Cordelia, and that no one belowstairs ever believed Richard would marry anyone but Hester. Hester blushes; Richard delightedly promises Willard a post. For now, Willard invites them to call him Tom.