Miss Marple at an Italian finishing school with Americans Ruth Van Rydock and Caroline "Carrie" Louise Serrocold. While Miss Marple is described as 'an old lady' in many of the stories, her age is mentioned in "At Bertram's Hotel", where it is said she visited the hotel when she was fourteen and almost sixty years have passed since then. Excluding "Sleeping Murder", 41 years passed between the first and last-written novels, and many characters grow and age. An example would be the Vicar's nephew: in "The Murder at the Vicarage", the Reverend Clement's nephew Dennis is a teenager; in "The Mirror Crack'd
A Pocket Full of Rye Fortescue tells Miss Marple she is, and the Inspector confirms it. Jennifer put out the dead blackbirds near Rex to remind him of his past offense. She knew her mother's vengeance lesson was wrong. Miss Marple and Inspector Neele realize this gave the theme to the murderer. Miss Marple explains what Gladys did: put the poison in the marmalade not knowing it was poison, and the rye in his pocket, at the direction of her boyfriend, Albert Evans. Dove immediately blackmails Jennifer; Inspector Neele says if Dove pays the money back, he will not charge her. Miss Marple explains that