Virginia—the youngest surviving Merrye child— happens to be the most coy, flirtatious and impulsive of the bunch. Particularly taken with her straight-laced Uncle Peter, Virginia oftentimes cannot resist the urge to "play spider" with her unwitting playmates. A collector of arachnid specimens (and assorted other odds & ends—living or dead), Virginia's impulsive ways are quickly rubbing off on her slightly older sister, Elizabeth, who wonders if it might be fun to "play spider," after all.