Actress Gemma Jones as Cecilia Williams in Agatha Christie's Poirot
In the novel Five Little Pigs, Cecilia Williams ("had none") was the devoted governess of Angela Warren. She was described as a "nice, capable woman". She lived in No. 584 Gillespie Buildings, a small, cubic flat. She worked at Alderbury, the home of Angela, her sister Caroline and Amyas, Caroline's husband. At the time, Miss Williams was forty-eight years old.
Miss Williams' flat was described as being a room that was "bedroom, sitting-room, dining-room, and, by judicious use of the gas ring, kitchen". The walls were painted "an ascetic pale grey", and there were many reproductions of paintings hung on them. There were also many faded photographs displayed.
Miss Williams studied painting for a time in Florence, when she was a girl. In her opinion, Amyas Crale was not a good artist, as he could not draw, his perspective was terrible, and his anatomy was incorrect. According to her, to anyone who knew and appreciated the great masters, Amyas' paintings were "really ludicrous". Miss Williams asked Poirot if Carla was artistic, and when told that she was not, remarked that it was something for which to be grateful. This left Poirot with no doubt about her views on artists.
When Miss Williams asked Poirot why he wanted her recollections of the Crale case, he decided not to tell her any lies, and simply told her about how Carla Lemarchant had asked him to investigate the case. This was because Miss Williams had a quality of authority, and so her instructions were invariably obeyed. It had never entered her mind that she would not be obeyed. Poirot had reacted the same way as various small boys had done in the past, who had briefly considered the possibility of a lie and had rejected it.
Miss Williams told Poirot that Carla's going to Canada at a young age may have been good for her, as when she was older she might have "suffered from a certain lack in her home life". This was because although Caroline was "an excellent mother", she was "really completely wrapped up in her husband".
Miss Williams told Poirot that the Crales were a devoted couple, but that Amyas "was a man". She told Poirot that men had the best of the world, and she hoped that it would not always be so. Poirot could easily visualise her "methodically and efficiently padlocking herself to a railing, and later hunger-striking with resolute endurance".
On the day of Amyas' death, Miss Williams went to look for a pullover belonging to Angela, and went down from the house with Caroline, as far as the Battery garden. Caroline found Amyas dead, and sent Miss Williams to call a doctor. While she was on the path, Miss Williams met Meredith Blake, and asked him to call the doctor while she returned to Caroline. This was because she thought that Caroline might have collapsed, and she was of the opinion that "men are no good in a matter of that kind".
Role in the novel (warning; may contain spoilers)[]
When Poirot reopens the case of Amyas' murder (in which his Caroline was sentenced to life in prison), Cecilia believed that reopening the case wasn't necessary; she believed that Caroline had killed Amyas.
Cecilia also told Poirot that she had seen Caroline trying to clean the poisoned bottle of beer that was used for Amyas' crime. However, Poirot deduced that Caroline was innocent since the poison was contained in the glass of beer, not in the bottle itself. This meant that Caroline was trying to cover someone who she thought was responsible for the murder.
Portrayals[]
In Agatha Christie's Poirot (Five Little Pigs), she was portrayed by actress Gemma Jones.