There are strangers in Lavenham. The curate is stuck down with a blow to the back of his head, and though many feel that his wits could be hardly more addled, he has been rendered unconscious. And the gold and garnet communion chalice is missing. Robin and Felicia must determine which, if any, of these facts may be connected; or whether there is the hint of witchcraft in the offing. The antics of Robin's adoptive son, Adam, and his friends add to the confusion; meanwhile, Felicia also finds out some surprising things about her family, as well as taking on some the care of the curate's wayward young nieces. The solution to the problem comes as a shock to the Reverend Stackhouse, the vicar.