Gwen Mayfield, a schoolteacher, returns to England after a traumatic encounter with witch-doctors in Africa. She takes a position with the enigmatic Reverend Alan Bax, who runs a remote village school in Heddaby, but the man behind the clerical collar is not a true minister, and the village’s only church lies in ruins. In the midst of this quiet, unsettled place, she forms a bond with Alan’s sister, a respected journalist who sees through the town’s surface calm.
In the village, a romance develops between two pupils, Ronnie Dowsett and Linda Rigg, which the adults try to block for reasons Gwen cannot fully understand. Linda lives with her grandmother, Granny Rigg, a figure steeped in rumor and superstition, believed by many to be a witch. Ronnie, a gifted pupil, earns Alan’s support for a chance to study at a prep school, yet his father resists this plan. Gwen volunteers to tutor Ronnie, hoping to keep the boy engaged and anchored in the community. In a quiet, symbolic moment, Ronnie presents Linda with a male doll to complement her female one, signaling their intention to be a couple in a world that seems wary of their bond.
Trouble intensifies when Ronnie falls into a coma. Gwen discovers the male doll with pins stuck through it and its head missing, a detail that unsettles everyone. She shares her concerns with Stephanie, a colleague who invites her to co-author an article about witchcraft in contemporary England. Ronnie’s mother grows increasingly agitated, and Gwen’s inquiries lead her to Granny Rigg’s house as she tries to uncover a pact or bargain that might be driving these events. Ronnie’s father confronts Granny, but soon after, he is found drowned in a nearby pond, a tragedy that deepens Gwen’s sense that dark forces are at work.
Gwen begins to fear that people who claim to be witches are orchestrating events to pull Ronnie away from Linda, and possibly to sacrifice Linda herself as part of a ritual. She agrees to testify at Ronnie’s inquest, hoping to uncover the truth. An incident involving Stephanie’s dogs injures Gwen, and she is taken to the Bax home for treatment by the local doctor. That night, an African totem looms in her room, frightening her into another nervous breakdown.
Months pass, and Gwen recuperates in a nursing home, with her memories of Africa largely erased. A doll belonging to a visiting little girl triggers the return of those memories, and she manages to escape the hospital, hitching a ride back to Heddaby. A whisper from the village suggests Linda has not been away on holiday but has instead fallen under the witches’ spell.
One fateful night, Gwen observes a coven gathering at the ruined church and follows them to uncover their plan. The coven, led by Stephanie, reveals a life-extending ritual that requires the sacrifice of a pure maiden, to be performed at Lammastide. Linda has been brought to the ceremony, though she stands in a trance and cannot resist. Gwen confronts the danger, and as the ritual begins, she cuts herself and smears blood on Stephanie’s robe, defiling it. Confronted by the mortally ill effect of the act, Stephanie collapses and dies.
In the weeks that follow, Heddaby gradually returns to normal. With the coven dismantled and Stephanie’s influence broken, Gwen chooses to remain in the village and continue teaching at Alan’s school, marking a cautious return to stability and a renewed sense of purpose.
