Content Warning: This section features descriptions of child neglect.

The Willoughbys are an “old-fashioned type of family” (1) composed of a mother, father, and four children. The oldest child, Timothy, is 12 years old and prone to bossiness. The twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, are 10, and people often confuse one twin for the other. Jane is the youngest at six and is timid, but she hopes to become more self-assured. The children’s parents do not care for them and only do the bare minimum of caretaking to avoid becoming a target for law enforcement. Mrs. Willoughby cooks, but her food is awful and so is her temper. Mr. Willoughby works at the bank and is ill-tempered and generally unpleasant. When the children find a baby on their doorstep with a note from a woman who is unable to care for it, Timothy finds the baby abhorrent while Jane initially wants to name and keep it. When they take the baby to their mother, Jane comments on its cute curls, and Mrs. Willoughby immediately cuts them off. Jane loses interest in the baby after that, and they take it to a nearby millionaire’s house and leave it there with the name “Ruth” attached to a note.