For country-bred cousins Cecelia Rushton and Katherine Talgarth, something extraordinary is afoot besides the constant whirl of Regency balls - something Young Ladies of Quality rarely come in contact with: magic. Oh, not the mere love spells used by country folk, but real sorcery capable of thwarting ambitions and destroying life. In Sorcery of Cecili,Kate begins to suspect this is so while enjoying her first Season in Loindon, where a beautiful socialite in an outdated powdered wig tries to lure her into having poisoned hot chocolate from an enchanted chocolate pot - while continually addressing her as Thomas! It's all very puzzling,especially when Thomas turns out to be the Mysterious Marquis who owns an estate near Rushton Manor. And equally strange things are happening at Rushton. The lovely Dorothea arrives quite suddenly and instantly captures the heart of every man in the neighborhood - which may not be unrelated to the charm-bag gound under Cecy's brother's bed. To make matters worsr, Dorthea's cousin James keeps lurking in the shadows, watching every move Cecy makes. Cecy and Kate are determined to discover who the stranger with the lethal chocolate the matter is with Dorothea...and how to put a top to the malevolent flow of sorcery before anyone else can be harmed. But there are forces at work that are equally determined to put a stop them...