Characters A Sorceress Comes to Call T. Kingfisher

Evangeline (Lady Evangeline) Character Analysis

Overview

Evangeline—often called Doom by those who see through her mask—is the primary antagonist of T. Kingfisher’s A Sorceress Comes to Call. Presented to the world as a genteel widow, she is in fact a powerful and ruthless sorceress who uses magical compulsion to pursue wealth and social status. Her control over her daughter Cordelia is near-absolute, and she is willing to commit murder to eliminate rivals. The text makes clear that magic is merely an extension of her already predatory nature: she is a social climber with the morals of a rabid fox, as Imogene Strauss observes. Her arc traces a rise from impoverished schemer to bride of a wealthy squire, followed by a violent fall when her machinations unravel.

Plot Role and Chronological Arc

Evangeline drives the central conflict. Her actions—magically enforcing obedience on Cordelia, forcing a move to Squire Samuel Chatham’s estate, manipulating the Squire into marriage—set the plot in motion. The outline shows that early on she uses an obedience spell to keep Cordelia silent during church and blames her for rebelliousness (Chapter 1). She then plans to secure a rich husband for herself, viewing Cordelia primarily as a tool to later attract a wealthy suitor (Chapter 2). She reveals that she is a sorcerer and explains that wedding ceremonies break spells, so she must marry before Cordelia can escape her influence.

When Cordelia attempts to run away, Evangeline reveals Falada is her familiar—a magical creature who has betrayed all of Cordelia’s secrets (Chapter 3). She then swoops into Chatham House, charming the Squire while alarming Hester and Imogene. Her rivalry with Penelope Green, whom she suspects of being a sorcerer herself, escalates. She orchestrates Penelope’s murder and frames it as an accident. Her plan to marry the Squire and secure Cordelia’s engagement to Lord Evermore seems to succeed until Hester and Imogene begin to fight back. In the climax (Chapter 35–36), Evangeline’s control is broken when Hester hits her with a cane; Falada transforms into a monstrous creature, kills her, and fades at dawn. The narrative depicts her as a force of nature that is ultimately destroyed by the very bonds she tried to weaponise.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Evangeline’s primary motivation is material security and social status, achieved through control of others. She does not seek love or companionship; men are stepping stones, and her daughter is a puppet. The text shows this through her cold-blooded planning: she tells Cordelia that she will marry “a ridiculous old man who will fall over anything in skirts” purely for his wealth (Chapter 4). When the Squire’s initial usefulness wanes, she mutters about killing him with magic or having Falada trample him (Chapter 2). Her rage when thwarted is immediate and violent, yet she is capable of immense patience when playing the victim.

Key traits include: ruthlessness (she is willing to kill Penelope and thinks nothing of using Cordelia as a bargaining chip), cunning (she conceals her sorcery behind a mask of polite widowhood), and possessiveness (she treats people and animals as property). Imogene’s analysis in Chapter 24—that magic merely expands what Evangeline is already willing to do—is supported by the text: even without sorcery, she would have found a way to eliminate Penelope. Her artificiality is noted by Hester, who senses that Evangeline’s appearance is as constructed as a doll’s hair (Chapter 4).

Relationships

Cordelia: The core relationship is one of abuse and control. Evangeline uses an obedience spell to silence Cordelia in public and to force her compliance at home. She dismisses Cordelia’s feelings, blames her for her own fear, and views her solely as a means to secure a wealthy husband. Despite occasional maternal postures, the text makes clear that Evangeline feels no genuine affection—only irritation when Cordelia fails to perform.

Falada: The horse is Evangeline’s familiar, a magical creature that has betrayed Cordelia’s secrets. Falada enforces Evangeline’s will even when Cordelia tries to flee. This bond makes Evangeline’s control over Cordelia total, as she can track her through the horse. In the end, after Hester strips Evangeline’s magic, Falada breaks free and kills her, suggesting the creature was bound against its true nature.

Squire Samuel Chatham: Evangeline manipulates him with coy smiles and feigned vulnerability. He is completely taken in, seeing only a pretty widow in need of protection. The text shows that he dismisses warnings from Hester and Richard, blinded by nostalgia and the promise of young companionship.

Penelope Green: The only person Evangeline treats as a genuine threat. She suspects Penelope is a sorcerer herself (calling her a “dabbler”), and the rivalry is both personal and professional. Evangeline's hatred is visceral—she fantasises about exposing Penelope’s secrets and later murders her, using the Squire’s daughter Ruth as a pawn.

Hester and Imogene: Evangeline dismisses Hester as an old woman and Imogene as a gossip. She underestimates their intelligence and resolve, a fatal error. Hester suspects the truth early and begins researching sorcery; Imogene devises strategies to counter Evangeline’s social manipulation.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  • Decision to move to Chatham House: Evangeline abandons her previous benefactor and forces a risky relocation. This places her in the orbit of people who can see through her act, leading to her downfall. Consequence: Penelope’s murder is investigated, and Hester becomes determined to stop her.
  • Murder of Penelope: To eliminate a rival for the Squire’s attention, Evangeline pushes Penelope over a balcony and stages it as suicide. This act, however, solidifies the alliance between Hester, Imogene, and Richard Evermore. They begin actively planning to expose her.
  • Using Falada as a spy: By making her horse a familiar, Evangeline gains surveillance over Cordelia—but this also creates a magical bond that can be reversed. When Hester strips her magic, Falada turns against her.
  • Marrying the Squire: She secures the wedding she wants, but in doing so, she commits to a household where Hester remains as an adversary. The marriage does not give her total control; it merely puts her in a cage with clever enemies.
  • Final attack on Cordelia: After her spells are broken, Evangeline lunges at her daughter in rage. Cordelia holds her, speaks a parting line, and loses consciousness. This moment shows that Evangeline’s love is entirely conditional—she will kill her own child to win. The consequence is her immediate death when Falada intervenes.

Theme and Symbol Connections

  • Mother-Daughter Power Dynamics: Evangeline embodies the extreme of parental control twisted into tyranny. She uses magic to enforce obedience, treating Cordelia as property. The story inverts the expected nurturing bond, showing what happens when a mother sees her child only as an extension of her own ambition.

  • Betrayal and Trust: Falada’s betrayal of Cordelia’s secrets is the most literal example, but Evangeline betrays everyone who trusts her—the Squire, her dead husband, her benefactor. Her entire method relies on deception.

  • Appearance vs. Reality: Evangeline’s scarlet riding habit, her perfect manners, and her “exquisite” face are all masks. Hester’s early intuition that she looks artificial—like a doll—proves correct. The story repeatedly contrasts the genteel facade with the murderous reality beneath.

  • Female Solidarity: Evangeline is the antithesis of female solidarity. She preys on other women (Penelope, Ruth) and isolates Cordelia. The novel’s resolution is achieved when Hester, Imogene, and Cordelia unite against her. Evangeline’s downfall is in part due to her inability to trust or ally with other women.

  • Resistance and Sacrifice: Cordelia’s small acts of defiance—whistling, screaming into a pillow, trying to warn Lord Evermore—are forms of resistance against an overwhelming power. Evangeline’s defeat requires sacrifice: Hester risks her safety, Cordelia gives up her horse, and Penelope gives her life. The theme shows that even tyrannical magic cannot extinguish the will to be free.

Five Book-Specific Questions

1. Why does Evangeline marry the Squire when she clearly despises him?
Evangeline marries for wealth and status, not affection. The Squire’s fortune and naivety make him an ideal target. She sees him as a means to secure her own position and to provide a suitable home from which she can launch Cordelia’s marriage to a richer man.

2. Did Evangeline ever love Cordelia?
The text strongly suggests she did not. She treats Cordelia as a tool, ignores her suffering, and ultimately lunges to kill her. Interpretation: Evangeline is incapable of love beyond possessive utility; any maternal warmth is feigned to control public perception.

3. How does Evangeline’s magic work differently from Penelope’s?
Evangeline’s magic is overt and coercive—obedience spells, binding a familiar, killing by force. Penelope’s, by contrast, is subtle: she charms people unintentionally, making them like her. The text notes that Evangeline calls Penelope a “dabbler” who does not even know she is using magic.

4. Why does Evangeline bring Cordelia along if she only wants to get rid of her?
Cordelia is a bargaining chip. Evangeline needs her daughter to appear as a sweet, marriageable girl to attract a second wealthy suitor (Lord Evermore). The long-term plan is to marry off Cordelia and then enjoy a life of luxury without her.

5. Could Evangeline have achieved her goals without murder?
Imogene argues that Evangeline’s ruthlessness is not dependent on magic—she would have found a way to destroy Penelope anyway. Interpretation: The evidence supports this; Evangeline sees other people as obstacles to be removed, not negotiated with. Even if she had married the Squire peacefully, she would eventually have eliminated anyone who threatened her grip on power.

For more context, see the book overview, explore the novel’s major themes, read the ending explained, or browse frequently asked questions.