, ▁he ▁mar ries ▁Jess am ine ▁Stevens . ▁ ▁Gard iner / B od ien ▁family ▁ ▁Miss ▁Caroline ▁and ▁Miss ▁Lav in ia ▁Gard iner ▁– ▁Two ▁un mar ried , ▁re clus ive ▁sister s ▁originally ▁from ▁Virginia ▁whose ▁father ▁was ▁Judge ▁Ball ard ' s ▁law ▁partner . ▁Their ▁father , ▁an ▁abol ition ist , ▁fre ed ▁his ▁slaves , ▁thus ▁losing ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁fortune ▁and ▁forcing ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁have ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁Ohio ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁anger ▁of ▁pro - s la very ▁neighb ors . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁social ▁re jection ▁they ▁suffered ▁in ▁Virginia , ▁the ▁Miss es ▁Gard iner ▁chose ▁to ▁isol ate ▁themselves ▁from ▁others ▁and ▁give ▁off ▁an ▁air ▁of ▁being ▁arist ocr atic . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁Club , ▁they ▁are ▁in ▁their ▁for ties ▁and ▁raising ▁their ▁te en age ▁nep hew , ▁Douglas ▁Gard iner . ▁They ▁decide ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁inv itation ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Club ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁become ▁more ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁community . ▁ ▁Douglas ▁" D oug " ▁Gard iner ▁– ▁The ▁nep hew ▁of ▁Miss ▁Caroline ▁and ▁Miss ▁Lav in ia ▁Gard iner , ▁he ▁is ▁raised ▁by ▁them , ▁att ends ▁Pr inc eton , ▁and ▁becomes ▁a ▁local ▁att orney ▁and ▁partner ▁in ▁Judge ▁Ball ard ' s ▁law ▁firm . ▁He ▁later ▁becomes ▁a ▁judge ▁himself . ▁Hand ic apped ▁by ▁a ▁club ▁foot , ▁he ▁initially ▁is ▁angry