Gilly was extremely thoroughly warned at the beginning.

11. The Sorcerers – Dorian Winslow

Gilly is being left behind by her husband, who decided he’s in love with her best friend and won’t stop telling Gilly what her best friend said about how he and Gilly should handle their divorce. Thanks, John. Gilly immediately leaves the only home with another person she felt comfortable in and goes right into the hands of witches. Sort of. It’s listed as a job caring for an invalid who doesn’t need medical care, exactly, she’s apparently suffering from hysteria and needs a companion with no ties to the outside world who will also maybe help lead her away from witchcraft.

Mason Walker, husband to the invalid, reminded me of Christopher Lee in the The House that Dripped Blood where he’s trying to keep his daughter away from witchcraft for good reasons he won’t explain to the new hire, but her kindly new nanny unwittingly helps her get right back to it. Gilly does the same thing with Caretha, except that Caretha’s assistant is already in the house and has the coolest dog, a Pekingese named Miss Ming who stares and is always present and taps around the house following people and intimidating them and also cuddles. She’s great.

Anyway, Caretha has hysteria and shock – forever, apparently – after getting through several tragedies in a row that seem pointed. Gerard loves Caretha, so he must be disfigured so she won’t want to marry him and will be available for Mason Walker. A fire kills her parents and burns down her cottage so of course now she and her sister and brother and Miss Ming must marry into the Walker family and move to their giant awesome house. Mason Walker doesn’t seem to like her all that much, so, a love for a love must be sacrificed and now Caretha just messes around with dolls and accessory to murder.

 

Hen Wen would have left based on Miss Ming’s presence alone. You can’t have two total queens in the same house and Hen has business elsewhere, besides, she was warned.