At dinner, Hester is unsettled to find Cordelia transformed: poised, charming, prattling effortlessly to the Squire about horses. Hester concludes Cordelia has been playing a frightened-rabbit act and resolves to be rid of mother and daughter. Evangeline is unusually quiet and looks drawn. Only after dinner does Hester glimpse Cordelia standing slack-bodied outside the door, her eyes wild with panic, revealing she had been magically puppeted by her mother throughout the meal.

In her room, Cordelia recovers from being 'made obedient.' Evangeline scolds her for forcing her to speak through her, complaining she must marry rich and learn to be charming. Cordelia carefully deflects blame onto her old school. She silently prays that Ellen Parker survived her father's massacre. Alice arrives and quietly intervenes, offering headache powders and herbal tea, sheltering Cordelia from further confrontation.

After Evangeline leaves, Cordelia climbs into the cedar-and-lavender-scented wardrobe to sleep, seeking any barrier against her mother. Alice finds her there in the morning and, with pity reminiscent of Ellen's, gently reassures her it will come out right in the end. Cordelia fears for Alice as she feared for Ellen, but composes herself for the day.

Evangeline takes Cordelia by carriage into the city to sell the stolen Parker cabriolet. Falada, between the shafts, easily outpaces a young racer. At Howard's stableyard, a magical ward flashes green and reeks of burning hair, exposing Falada as enchanted. Howard refuses to buy the horse but, after testing the carriage with an ordinary horse, purchases it. Evangeline pockets the money and walks into the city with Cordelia, while Falada trots off alone. Cordelia realizes with dread that she is now an accomplice to murder and theft.