George Lee

In the novel Hercule Poirot's Christmas, George Lee is M.P. for Westeringham. He is the husband of Magdalene and the son of Simeon Lee.

George is described as a "somewhat corpulent gentleman of forty-one". His eyes are "pale blue and slightly prominent with a suspicious expression". He has a "heavy jowl, and a slow pedantic utterance".

At the beginning of the novel, George has received a letter from his father, asking him to come home for Christmas. He tells Magdalene that he feels it is his duty to go. He is also attracted by the idea that spending Christmas at Gorston Hall will enable him to save considerably, as he can put his servants on board wages.

George is known to be mean about money. His brother, Harry, mentions that George "used to howl if he had to part with a half-penny of his pocket-money". Magdalene says that George is always worrying about money, and that it is absurd for him to pinch and scrape in so many little ways. Tressilian, the butler at Gorston Hall, notes that Magdalene wears an expensive dress to dinner, and wonders how George will like paying for it, as George has never liked spending money.

When Simeon calls the family up to his room, he tells George that he will have to cut down his allowance. This upsets George, who says that his expenses are very heavy already, and that it needs the most rigorous economy to make ends meet.

After Simeon's death, George tells Poirot, Coloel Johnson and Superintendent Sugden that he can only believe that it must have been the work of a lunatic, perhaps one who has escaped from a mental home in the vicinity. When asked how this person would have entered and left the house, he says that it is for the police to discover.

George says that at the time of the murder, he was telephoning in the study, having put through a call to the Conservative agent in Westeringham. He says that he was there when he heard the noise of furniture being overturned in Simeon's room upstairs, and a scream. However, the police find out that the call was put through at 8.59p.m. and was terminated at 9.04p.m., while the sounds of furniture being overturned were heard at 9.15p.m.

When George is asked again for an account of his movements at the time of the murder, he says that he was debating whether or not to make another call, and questions why he should have to account for every minute of his time.

Magdalene is also asked again for her account of her movements, as she had said that she was telephoning, but George had said that she had not been in the room with him. When she ursts into tears, George angrily says that he will have a question asked in the House about "the disgraceful bullying methods of the police".

The family later finds out that according to Simeon's will, Pilar Estravados will not inherit anything because her mother, Jennifer, predeceased Simeon. George says that Pilar is not entitled to her mother's share, as the law is the law, and they must abide by it. When he finds that his brothers want to give Pilar her mother's share of the inheritance, he says it is preposterous, and refuses to cooperate with them, saying that it will be enough to give Pilar a home and dress allowance.

At the end of the novel, George is concerned about "the whole disgraceful story" coming out, and asks if the murderer could be persuaded to plead advanced Communist views and dislike of Simeon as a capitalist. Lydia points out that the murderer is not likely to tell lies to protect the feelings of the family.

When Magdalene suggests that they all go to the Riviera or somewhere for the following Christmas, George says that this depends on the Exchange. Magdalene tells him not to be mean.

It is revealed that after George made the telephone call, he was secretly looking through the papers on Alfred's desk in the study. According to Lydia, George did this because he is "frightfully curious about money matters".