Miss Violet Milray

In the novel Three Act Tragedy, Miss Violet Milray is a long time secretary to Sir Charles who also takes on some of the role of being his housekeeper. She is secretly in love with him and has worked with him for six years, first as his secretary in London, and then at Crow's Nest at Loomouth.

She is described as a "tall and exceedingly ugly woman", and also as being somewhat of a grenadier. She is extremely efficient, and Sir Charles even says that he is always afraid she will come and brush his teeth for him.

At the beginning of the novel, she suggests to Sir Charles that she should dine with the house party, as otherwise there will be thirteen at the table, and many people are superstitious.

Later, after the death of Sir Bartholomew Strange, Miss Milray runs into Hermione "Egg" Lytton Gore in London. They read a newspaper article about the exhumation of Rev Stephen Babbington's body, and learn that he was poisoned with nicotine. Miss Milray is upset by this news. She explains that she had known Rev Babbington all her life, as her mother, Mrs Milray, lives in Gilling, Kent, where he had been the vicar.

Poirot later follows Miss Milray from London to Loomouth, and sees her enter an old stone tower. She picks up a crowbar, and is about to smash the scientific apparatus in the tower, when Poirot stops her. It is later revealed that this apparatus was used to extract nicotine from rose spraying solution, and Miss Milray had tried to destroy it to protect the murderer.

Portrayals
In Murder in Three Acts (1986), Miss Milray was played by Frances Lee McCain.

In the film adaptation of Three Act Tragedy in Series 12 of ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot drama series, the part of Miss Milray is played by Suzanne Bertish.