Hester is a young, working-class woman from a village in Westmoreland. Hired to care for baby Rosamond, she brings a strong work ethic and fierce devotion to her young charge. When relocated to the desolate Furnivall Manor, she must rely on her practical nature and northern pride to endure the eerie environment.

Rosamond is the orphaned daughter of a local curate and a gentlewoman. She is an innocent and cheerful child who easily wins the affection of both the servants and the aristocratic inhabitants of Furnivall Manor. Her trusting, naive nature makes her highly vulnerable to the strange occurrences within the isolated house.

The cruel, wealthy patriarch of the Furnivall family who ruled the manor during the previous generation. He maintained strict, brutal control over his household and his two daughters. He showed passion only for music, spending fortunes to surround himself with talented musicians and a massive Dutch organ.

The elderly great-aunt of the current Lord Furnivall who resides in the otherwise empty manor. Once a handsome, proud, and fashionable young woman whose portrait hangs in the state drawing room, she is now a cold, detached figure who nervously anticipates the harsh winter weather.

A distant cousin of Rosamond's mother who inherits the responsibility for the young orphan. Uninterested in raising a child himself, he sends Rosamond and her nurse to live at his ancestral northern estate, Furnivall Manor, leaving them entirely in the care of the household servants.

The older daughter of Old Lord Furnivall. Known for her haughty nature and extraordinary beauty, she shares a bitter, lifelong rivalry with her younger sister. Her independent spirit manifests in her bold personality and her tendency to ride her horse wildly across the rugged northern countryside.

The hospitable housekeeper at Furnivall Manor. As a fellow Westmoreland native, she quickly befriends Hester and helps the newcomers feel comfortable in the desolate house. She possesses deep knowledge of the manor's dark history but tries to obey her husband's orders to keep quiet about it.

The loyal manservant and footman at Furnivall Manor. He maintains a deep, protective allegiance to the aristocratic family and strictly forbids the other servants from discussing the manor's unsettling history or acknowledging the strange organ music that echoes through the halls.

The young maid-of-all-work at Furnivall Manor. She is easily frightened by the strange occurrences in the house and eventually admits to Hester that the locals believe the manor is haunted by its former owner. She frequently accompanies Hester on walks to the village church.

A maid-companion to the elderly Miss Furnivall. She is a well-born but impoverished woman who serves her employer in exchange for room and board. She maintains a cold, distant demeanor and constantly attempts to soothe or distract Miss Furnivall when the older woman becomes agitated by the winter weather.

A gentlewoman of the aristocratic Furnivall family who married a local curate. She is a modest and deeply devoted mother who represents ideal domestic virtue. She actively cares for her child rather than relying entirely on servants, before tragically passing away shortly after her husband.

A hardworking village curate who diligently serves a large, working-class parish. He is a loving husband and father whose commitment to his pastoral duties eventually costs him his life when he contracts a deadly fever.