Isabel is the bossy, older Burnell sister. The sisters’ ages are never explicitly stated, but Lottie is implied to be the middle sibling, with Kezia being the youngest. The Burnell family is one of the wealthiest families in the region, and because of this, the girls reign supreme at school. The arrival of the doll’s house contributes to the girls’ sense of power, which Lottie uses to cement her status over her classmates. Lottie is more passive and goes along with everything that Isabel says. Kezia starts out somewhat passive, but she eventually starts to question her family’s treatment of the Kelvey family.

Kezia is neither as obedient nor as close-minded as her sisters. She does not prioritize money and superficial appearances in the same way that they do. She is just as fascinated by the doll’s house as her sisters are, but she is most fascinated by the lamp, while her sisters are more entranced by more beautiful aspects of the doll’s house.

Lottie and Isabel accept their mother’s ruling that they are not to interact with the Kelvey sisters, but Kezia does not understand why two little girls should be ostracized to such an extent.