Emily Inglethorp Character Analysis in The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Emily Inglethorp is John and Lawrence Cavendish’s stepmother. She married their father when they were still young boys, so they see her as their real mother. When John and Lawrence’s father died, he left the family’s country house, Styles Court, and most of his savings to Emily—an arrangement Hastings thinks was unfair, since John and Lawrence have yet to see their inheritance. John, however, doesn’t mind because Emily has always been kind to him, and he’s confident that she’ll leave him and Lawrence with a handsome inheritance. In general, Emily is a charitable person who devotes herself to helping people—she even takes in a young woman named Cynthia, who needs financial support because she’s an orphan. She’s also on very good terms with Evelyn Howard, who helps her with whatever she needs and, through this relationship, eventually becomes her closest friend. At the same time, though, Emily is rather stubborn, and though she likes to show outward kindness to people, everyone seems to know that she always wants things to go her way and that she’s not actually as willing to part with her money as it might seem. But none of this bothers her family until she marries a younger man named Alfred Inglethorp. Everyone thinks Alfred just married Emily for her money, and the fact that she dies from being poisoned just three months after their marriage aligns with their suspicion that he killed her—which, of course, is eventually what Hercule Poirot proves.

Emily Inglethorp Quotes in The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The The Mysterious Affair at Styles quotes below are all either spoken by Emily Inglethorp or refer to Emily Inglethorp. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

He had married two years ago, and had taken his wife to live at Styles, though I entertained a shrewd suspicion that he would have preferred his mother to increase his allowance, which would have enabled him to have a home of his own. [Emily Inglethorp], however, was a lady who liked to make her own plans, and expected other people to fall in with them, and in this case she certainly had the whip hand, namely: the purse strings.

Related Characters: Captain Arthur Hastings (speaker), John Cavendish, Emily Inglethorp

Page Number and Citation: 4-5

Explanation and Analysis:

“[…] The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is! It’s simply barefaced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”

Related Characters: John Cavendish (speaker), Emily Inglethorp, Alfred Inglethorp, Captain Arthur Hastings

Page Number and Citation: 5

Explanation and Analysis:

His watchful and attentive manner never varied. From the very first I took a firm and rooted dislike to him, and I flatter myself that my first judgements are usually fairly shrewd.

Related Characters: Captain Arthur Hastings (speaker), Alfred Inglethorp, Emily Inglethorp

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 9

Explanation and Analysis:

“Look after her, Mr. Hastings. My poor Emily. They’re a lot of sharks—all of them. Oh, I know what I’m talking about. There isn’t one of them that’s not hard up and trying to get money out of her. I’ve protected her as much as I could. Now I’m out of the way, they’ll impose upon her.”

Related Characters: Evelyn Howard (speaker), Emily Inglethorp, Captain Arthur Hastings

Page Number and Citation: 14

Explanation and Analysis:

We went slowly down the stairs. I was violently excited. I have a certain talent for deduction, and Dr. Bauerstein’s manner had started a flock of wild surmises in my mind.

Related Characters: Captain Arthur Hastings (speaker), Emily Inglethorp, Dr. Bauerstein

Page Number and Citation: 32

Explanation and Analysis:

“[…] Well, strychnine is a fairly rapid poison. Its effects would be felt very soon, probably in about an hour. Yet, in Mrs. Inglethorp’s case, the symptoms do not manifest themselves until five o’clock the next morning: nine hours! But a heavy meal, taken at about the same time as the poison, might retard its effects, though hardly to that extent. Still, it is a possibility to be taken into account. But, according to you, she ate very little for supper, and yet the symptoms do not develop until early the next morning! Now that is a curious circumstance, my friend. Something may arise at the autopsy to explain it. In the meantime, remember it.”

Related Characters: Hercule Poirot (speaker), Emily Inglethorp

Page Number and Citation: 39

Explanation and Analysis:

I had the utmost difficulty in controlling my excitement. Unknown to herself, Annie had provided us with an important piece of evidence. How she would have gaped if she had realized that her “coarse kitchen salt” was strychnine, one of the most deadly poisons known to mankind. I marvelled at Poirot’s calm. His self-control was astonishing. I awaited his next question with impatience, but it disappointed me.

Related Characters: Captain Arthur Hastings (speaker), Annie , Hercule Poirot, Emily Inglethorp

Page Number and Citation: 54

Explanation and Analysis:

“I had forgotten that,” I said thoughtfully. “That is as enigmatical as ever. It seems incredible that a woman like Mrs. Cavendish, proud and reticent to the last degree should interfere so violently in what was certainly not her affair.”

“Precisely. […]”

“It is certainly curious,” I agreed. “Still, it is unimportant, and need not be taken into account.”

A groan burst from Poirot.

“What have I always told you? Everything must be taken into account. If the fact will not fit the theory—let the theory go.”

Related Characters: Captain Arthur Hastings (speaker), Hercule Poirot (speaker), Mary Cavendish, Emily Inglethorp

Page Number and Citation: 84-5

Explanation and Analysis:

“Impossible!” I exclaimed. “She had only made it out that very afternoon!”

“Nevertheless, mon ami, it was Mrs. Inglethorp. Because, in no other way can you account for the fact that, on one of the hottest days of the year, Mrs. Inglethorp ordered a fire to be lighted in her room.”

Related Characters: Captain Arthur Hastings (speaker), Hercule Poirot (speaker), Emily Inglethorp, Mary Cavendish

Related Symbols: The Fire

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 189

Explanation and Analysis:

Emily Inglethorp Character Timeline in The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The timeline below shows where the character Emily Inglethorp appears in The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Wealth, Inheritance, and Power Theme Icon

...time with John’s family in Essex. Hastings is particularly surprised to hear that John’s stepmother, Emily, has remarried. She originally married John’s father when John was still young, and she quickly... (full context)

...Howard’s—a woman who helps out at Styles and is very close friends with John’s stepmother, Emily. Evelyn is protective of Emily, which is partially why she’s suspicious of Mr. Inglethorp; she... (full context)

...Alfred Inglethorp is just “fortune hunting” by marrying his stepmother, who’s now known as Mrs. Emily Inglethorp. Hastings listens to his old friend’s complaints about how much the marriage has unsettled... (full context)

Suspense, Intrigue, and Secrecy Theme Icon

...about his time in the war, hoping that she finds him interesting. Soon enough, though, Emily Inglethorp cuts his stories short, telling Hastings that it’s good to see him again. Hastings... (full context)

Alfred Inglethorp’s presence seems to cast a cloud over everyone’s mood—except, that is, for Mrs. Inglethorp , who speaks to him with an air of importance about some sort of charitable... (full context)

The conversation about poison is interrupted by the arrival of Cynthia Murdock, a young woman Mrs. Inglethorp recently took in. Cynthia works as a volunteer at the local hospital and has lived... (full context)

...the house’s smoking room to tell Hastings, Mary, and John what happened. Apparently, she told Emily Inglethorp what she really thinks about her new husband—namely, that Alfred Inglethorp is nothing but... (full context)

Enraged by Evelyn Howard’s words, Emily insisted that her friend had spoken nothing but “wicked lies” and that she should leave... (full context)

...at a hospital roughly 15 miles away. She wants him to write to her if Mrs. Inglethorp has a change of heart and expresses a desire to contact her again. Even though... (full context)

On Monday the 16th, Emily Inglethorp hosts a charity event, at which she recites a war poem. The next day,... (full context)

...to Poirot, but Cynthia already knows him—Poirot is well acquainted with the people living at Mrs. Inglethorp ’s house, since Mrs. Inglethorp has treated him and his fellow Belgians very well while... (full context)

When Hastings and the others return, they find Mrs. Inglethorp in a strange mood. Cynthia asks if everything is all right, and Mrs. Inglethorp sharply... (full context)

After Mrs. Inglethorp disappears into her room to write her letters, Hastings and Cynthia decide to play tennis.... (full context)

...and meets up with Cynthia, who tells him there has been a terrible argument between Emily Inglethorp and Alfred Inglethorp. Dorcas overheard the fight a little earlier and filled Cynthia in.... (full context)

...when Mr. Inglethorp found him and insisted that he come in for coffee. Just then, Emily Inglethorp steps into the hall and asks Cynthia to bring up her dispatch case—a case... (full context)

...Hastings is awakened by Lawrence Cavendish. Lawrence, who is holding a candle, tells Hastings that Emily Inglethorp is incredibly sick but seems to have locked herself in her bedroom. Hastings jumps... (full context)

Hastings, John, and Lawrence break down Mrs. Inglethorp ’s door. They find her writhing on the bed, her back arched in terrible convulsions.... (full context)

Mrs. Inglethorp ’s convulsions subside for a moment, but then they get even worse. John and Mary... (full context)

...Bauerstein had been walking past Styles when he saw a car rushing out to fetch Mrs. Inglethorp ’s doctor, Mr. Wilkins. He now confers with Mr. Wilkins, who arrived shortly after Mrs.... (full context)

...events, especially since he suspects foul play. Judging by Dr. Bauerstein’s reaction, he strongly believes Mrs. Inglethorp was poisoned. (full context)

...an official autopsy is performed. In fact, Bauerstein says that, due to the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Inglethorp ’s death, there will most likely have to be an official inquest. John begrudgingly agrees... (full context)

Poirot points out that Hastings has left out an important detail—namely, whether or not Mrs. Inglethorp ate well on the night of her death. Hastings is dumbfounded by this question and... (full context)

...His comment prompts Hastings to think about how nobody really seems to care much about Mrs. Inglethorp ’s death. Poirot senses what he’s thinking and revises what he has said, acknowledging that... (full context)

Hastings still wants to know why Poirot cares about what Mrs. Inglethorp ate the night before. Poirot, for his part, reminds Hastings that he doesn’t usually like... (full context)

After obtaining the key from John, Poirot and Hastings go through Emily’s room. Poirot pays meticulous attention to every small detail. He inspects the bolt on the... (full context)

...finds a ring of keys on the floor. He discovers that one of them opens Mrs. Inglethorp ’s purple dispatch case, but he doesn’t read the papers contained inside—he doesn’t have the... (full context)

...made of pink wax, whereas the wax on the carpet is white. Poirot believes that Mrs. Inglethorp didn’t have a candle in the room with her, but he won’t tell Hastings what... (full context)

Before leaving Mrs. Inglethorp ’s bedroom, Poirot checks the fireplace for any clues. Sure enough, he finds a small... (full context)

...tells him that she overheard Mrs. Inglethorp’s argument with her husband the previous day. Apparently, Emily Inglethorp accused Alfred of lying to and tricking her, and she said that he had... (full context)

Poirot asks Dorcas if she’s sure that Mrs. Inglethorp was arguing with her husband. Dorcas is confident in this regard, asking who else it... (full context)

Dorcas notes that Mrs. Inglethorp probably put the piece of paper she’d been holding into her purple dispatch case. Moving... (full context)

Next, Poirot interviews Annie, a younger servant at Styles. Annie knows about the letters Mrs. Inglethorp wrote the previous night—specifically, who they were addressed to, since she was the one who... (full context)

...tray and that it might have gotten into the cocoa, though she served it to Mrs. Inglethorp anyway. Hastings becomes incredibly excited, thinking that he and Poirot have found the cause of... (full context)

...desk. It’s locked, but he manages to open it with one of the keys from Mrs. Inglethorp ’s keyring, which he has in his possession—the key itself isn’t a perfect fit, but... (full context)

Hastings recognizes the handwriting on the envelope as Mrs. Inglethorp ’s and wonders if she was in the midst of some kind of “demoniacal possession.”... (full context)

...“self-control” is a sign of politeness or a sign that nobody cares that much about Mrs. Inglethorp ’s death. Alfred Inglethorp, in fact, is the only person who seems stricken by guilt,... (full context)

Mrs. Inglethorp ’s lawyer, Mr. Wells, arrives at Styles. John invites Poirot and Hastings to meet with... (full context)

Poirot asks Mr. Wells if the letter that Mrs. Inglethorp wrote to him contained anything of importance, but the lawyer says that it simply asked... (full context)

Even if Mrs. Inglethorp ’s most recent will was fair to both her sons, Poirot points out that it... (full context)

John Cavendish and Mr. Wells are about to search through Mrs. Inglethorp ’s papers to see if she happened to have made a new will, but Poirot... (full context)

...the gardener, Manning, arrives he answers Poirot’s questions, explaining that he was planting begonias when Emily Inglethorp came to the window and asked the other gardener to go into town to... (full context)

Mr. Wells realizes that Emily Inglethorp wanted him to come to the house that morning to make the new will... (full context)

...she wonders why they need anyone to investigate at all—Alfred Inglethorp, she believes, clearly murdered Emily. She asks them if they’ve already taken him to prison, and when John tells her... (full context)

...her help because she’s the only person who seems to have shed a tear about Emily’s death. Evelyn becomes somewhat defensive, going on a rant about how Emily blocked people out... (full context)

...Poirot and Hastings meet up with John Cavendish and Mr. Wells again. They go to Mrs. Inglethorp ’s bedroom to look through her purple dispatch case. Poirot pulls out the key that... (full context)

...asking if it’s a good idea to tell the whole household that somebody broke into Emily Inglethorp’s bedroom and forced open the dispatch case. Poirot agrees that maybe it’s not the... (full context)

On the way back to town, Poirot explains that Mr. Wells and John Cavendish opened Emily Inglethorp’s writing desk and found yet another will, this one from just before her marriage.... (full context)

...had come inside. Because the begonias right outside the boudoir were newly planted, he knew Mrs. Inglethorp must have summoned the gardeners yesterday afternoon. When Hastings admires his friend and admits that... (full context)

...one of the dispatch case’s keys was missing—it was just a guess. The key on Mrs. Inglethorp ’s keyring that opened the dispatch case was very shiny, suggesting to him that it... (full context)

...pharmacist named Mr. Mace sprinting toward the building. When he arrives, he frantically asks if Mrs. Inglethorp was poisoned by strychnine. Poirot answers in a low voice that Hastings can’t hear, and... (full context)

For his part, Poirot says he owes a lot to Mrs. Inglethorp , since she was kind to Belgian refugees like himself. With this in mind, he... (full context)

...an affair with Mrs. Raikes. Hastings comes away feeling angry at Mr. Inglethorp for disrespecting Mrs. Inglethorp so blatantly. (full context)

At the inquest, Dr. Bauerstein explains that Mrs. Inglethorp ’s death seemed to be the result of strychnine poisoning. However, he notes that strychnine... (full context)

...strychnine eventually poison people, taking a “cumulative effect” on the victim. Lawrence also suggests that Emily may have simply taken too much of her medicine by accident. But Mr. Wilkins—Emily’s doctor—refutes... (full context)

One of the people on the jury points out that Mrs. Inglethorp ’s pharmacist could have accidentally put too much strychnine in her tonic. But then Dorcas... (full context)

...Mary Cavendish about an argument she overheard on Tuesday the 17th (the last day before Mrs. Inglethorp ’s death). Suddenly, Mary becomes sheepish and hesitant. It occurs to Hastings that she’s stalling... (full context)

...into specifics, other than to say that Evelyn said terrible things about Alfred but that Emily wanted to forget all about such things. (full context)

...relatively new in town, having only been in the village for about a month. Plus, Mrs. Inglethorp usually has her medicine made up elsewhere, meaning that Mr. Mace probably doesn’t have a... (full context)

After discussing Alfred’s innocence, Japp asks to be shown to Mrs. Inglethorp ’s bedroom. On the way out of the room, Poirot takes Hastings aside and tells... (full context)

...presence at Styles on Tuesday evening changes everything. They already know that Alfred Inglethorp poured Mrs. Inglethorp ’s coffee but then set it down. The presence of yet another person complicates matters. (full context)

...fishy about Evelyn Howard’s hatred for Alfred Inglethorp. He doesn’t necessarily suspect that she killed Emily Inglethorp, but he makes a weak argument for the possibility that she burned her friend’s... (full context)

...where Poirot drops off a sample of the cocoa he took from the saucepan in Mrs. Inglethorp ’s bedroom. When Hastings reminds him that Dr. Bauerstein already tested the cocoa, Poirot says... (full context)

Poirot asks Evelyn Howard if she really still thinks Alfred Inglethorp killed Emily. She says she does, but then Poirot rephrases the question to suggest that he doesn’t... (full context)

...was poisoning. Hastings takes a moment and then suggests that the coffee wasn’t what killed Mrs. Inglethorp . Instead, Bauerstein must have poisoned her cocoa, which is why Poirot took it to... (full context)

...thought the same thing. He also suddenly remembers the conversation he overheard between Mary and Mrs. Inglethorp , thinking that maybe Mrs. Inglethorp found out about her feelings for Bauerstein and threatened... (full context)

...to talk to Hastings afterwards, so they go for a walk. She tells him that Mrs. Inglethorp promised to leave her money—but she didn’t do it, and now Cynthia doesn’t know what... (full context)

...can confidently say why it happened. The doctor wasn’t taken in by police for murdering Mrs. Inglethorp , but because he’s a foreign spy. (full context)

...discovery—there’s too much strychnine involved in the case, he says. There was the strychnine in Mrs. Inglethorp ’s tonic, the strychnine sold by Mr. Mace, and now the strychnine with Lawrence’s fingerprints.... (full context)

...obvious potential culprit—after all, if Alfred Inglethorp wasn’t the one whom people overheard arguing with Emily Inglethorp, then it must have been either John or Lawrence. Still, though, Poirot doesn’t necessarily... (full context)

...John. Mr. Philips says that John was having an affair with Mrs. Raikes and that Emily Inglethorp confronted him about his infidelity on the afternoon before her death. Mr. Philips also... (full context)

...next day, the prosecution presents more evidence, including a strip of “blotting paper” found in Emily Inglethorp’s checkbook—a close study of the paper shows that it still bears the hint of... (full context)

...hands shake once: when Poirot straightened out the trinkets on the mantelpiece after discovering that Emily Inglethorp’s dispatch case had been forced open. As soon as he reminds Poirot of this... (full context)

...they’re all gathered, he reminds them of three things he found when he first investigated Mrs. Inglethorp ’s bedroom: (1) a scrap of green fabric, (2) a stain on the carpet, and... (full context)

...Inglethorp’s bedroom when the table fell. Poirot suggests that Mary was looking for something in Emily’s room when Emily surprised her by starting to convulse. Mary dropped some candlewax in surprise... (full context)

...utter surprise, but Poirot confirms what Mary has said. After all, he adds, why would Emily Inglethorp have had a fire going on one of the hottest nights of the entire... (full context)

Poirot says that Emily Inglethorp had two conversations on Tuesday the 17th in which she used very similar language,... (full context)

The strange thing, Poirot says, is that Emily was alone between 4:30 and 5:00. Knowing that she had no stamps in her desk,... (full context)

...he realized that there should have been yet another cup (including the broken one in Mrs. Inglethorp ’s room). There was, in other words, a missing coffee cup. Furthermore, all of the... (full context)

...cup, which Lawrence later found in a brass vase. Mary Cavendish, Poirot explains, drugged both Emily Inglethorp and Cynthia so that she could sneak into their rooms at night. (full context)

...get rid of the cocoa without attracting suspicion. Thankfully for her, she soon realized that Emily Inglethorp died from strychnine and not the drug Mary herself slipped into her drink. But,... (full context)

...drugged coffee. But Poirot stops him. The coffee, he says, was not drugged. After all, Emily Inglethorp didn’t even drink the coffee, since it spilled all over the carpet when she... (full context)

Instead of adding strychnine, the murderer only needed to add Emily’s bromide powder to the tonic. Poirot learned from a pharmaceutical book that bromide can cause... (full context)

...believes that the murder was clearly supposed to happen on Monday, not Tuesday. That’s why Emily’s bell was tampered with on Monday, for instance. But Emily forgot to take her last... (full context)

...and Alfred would have gotten away with their plan if they’d simply added bromide to Emily’s tonic and waited for her to take the last dose. Instead, they tried to stir... (full context)

The plan, Poirot explains, was for Emily to take her final—fatal—dose of medicine on Monday evening. Therefore, Alfred purposefully went to a... (full context)

When Emily Inglethorp realized she didn’t have any stamps, Poirot says, she opened Alfred’s writing desk using... (full context)

After the murder, Alfred must have realized that Emily had taken the incriminating letter he wrote to Evelyn. He therefore risked breaking into her... (full context)

As soon as Lawrence saw the unbolted door, he crushed the coffee cup in Emily Inglethorp’s room because he remembered that Cynthia had gone upstairs with Emily that night. He... (full context)

Emily Inglethorp Character Analysis

Emily Inglethorp Quotes in The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Chapter 1: I Go to Styles Quotes

Chapter 3: The Night of the Tragedy Quotes

Chapter 4: Poirot Investigates Quotes

Chapter 5: “It Isn’t Strychnine, Is It?” Quotes

Chapter 12: The Last Link Quotes

Emily Inglethorp Character Timeline in The Mysterious Affair at Styles