The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Polk, C.J. The Midnight Bargain. Erewhon Books, 2020.

Beatrice meets Ysbeta and Ianthe Lavan in a bookstore one day while searching for a rare grimoire. That grimoire has the spell to conjure a Greater Spirit which would help a woman become a mage. Both Beatrice and Ysbeta want the book. Since Ysbeta outranks Beatrice in terms of wealth, Beatrice hands over the book with the promise that she will get to come over and look at it sometime. Beatrice has a date with Danton Maisonette. He is horribly rude to her.

Before the first ball of the season, Beatrice summons the lesser spirit, Nadi, to bring her good luck. At the ball, Beatrice kisses Ianthe. The next day, Ysbeta calls on her and suggests they strike a deal. Beatrice will teach Ysbeta how to read grimoires along with how to summon spirits and in exchange Beatrice will receive the coveted grimoire.

What follows is the development of Ysbeta and Beatrice’s friendship, along with Beatrice’s relationship with Ianthe. The two girls juggle social events and magic lessons. There is a party one night and Beatrice uses Nadi to help her cheat at cards. Beatrice was afraid to lose money, as her father is already in serious debt. She gets caught by Ianthe and Ysbeta, who swear not to tell anyone. Meanwhile, Beatrice’s father is determined to marry her off to the highest bidder. He even tries to set her up with a middle-aged businessman named Udo Maasten but Beatrice scares him off.

One day, at an auction to raise money for an orphanage, Ianthe and Danton engage in a bidding war over Beatrice’s basket. Ianthe wins, and thereby wins a lunch date with Beatrice. Danton only wanted to get Beatrice away from Ianthe, since his sister, Danielle, is in love with Ianthe. After lunch, Beatrice begins to ride home. Suddenly, her horse starts running wildly, forcing her to nearly fall off and get trampled. Ianthe saves her. Beatrice punches Danton in the face, since she knows he is the one who hexed her horse. Ianthe gets Beatrice home safe. Outside her house, men gather and sing songs in her praise.

Ianthe proposes to Beatrice one night at a party on his family’s boat. She declines, since marrying him would mean losing her magic. She says that she would hate anyone who took her magic away and that, as she does not want to hate him, she must marry someone else. Soon after, Beatrice’s father promises her hand to Danton. Beatrice is horrified and runs away with Ianthe and Ysbeta. They manage to conjure Greater Spirits and become mages. Ianthe proposes once again, and Beatrice accepts. Even though mages cannot safely have children, he still wants to be with her.

In the epilogue, Beatrice gives a lecture on how mages can have children that do not become possessed by spirits. She and Ianthe already have one daughter and are expecting another. Meanwhile, Ysbeta travels the world, gathering information on secret magic.