In the short story A Christmas Tragedy, Ethel is a former maid of Miss Marple. She was "a very good-looking girl and obliging in every way". Miss Marple soon realised that Ethel was the same type of girl as Annie Webb and Mrs Bruitt's girl. She would not differentiate between mine and thine. So Miss Marple let her go, and in the written reference she called her sober and honest.
In private Miss Marple warned old Mrs Edwards not to employ Ethel. When the girl went to work for Lady Ashton, Miss Marple felt no obligation to warn her. This employment ended with Ethel departing in the middle of the night, having stolen two diamond brooches and having cut of the lace from Lady Ashton's underclothes. Ethel was never heard from again.