# Cicely Dupuy — The Clue character guide > Cicely Dupuy in The Clue by Carolyn Wells. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Cicely, Cicely Dupuy, Miss Dupuy, Poor Miss Dupuy, Dupuy **First appearance:** 0000-i-the-van-normans ## Snapshot A secretary whose handwriting eerily mirrors her mistress's and whose hopeless love for the groom makes her the last person to see Madeleine Van Norman alive. ## Who they are Cicely Dupuy moves through the Van Norman household as a quiet, overlooked presence, yet she is the last known witness to Madeleine alive and the first to reach the scene of the crime. Her secret infatuation with Schuyler Carleton, exposed through a slip of paper she desperately tried to reclaim, places her at the center of a jealousy triangle no one suspected. Her uncanny ability to imitate Madeleine's hand raises unsettling questions about forged notes and hidden motives, making her a figure the investigators cannot afford to dismiss. ## Relationships ### [Madeleine Van Norman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/madeleine_van_norman) _friendship_ Cicely is a close friend of Madeleine, sharing confidences and social outings. ### [Rob Fessenden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/rob_fessenden) _friendship_ Cicely and Rob are friendly acquaintances, often interacting within their mutual social circle. ### [Schuyler Carleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/schuyler_carleton) _social_ Cicely and Schuyler are polite acquaintances, with no significant personal bond. ### [Madeleine Van Norman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/madeleine_van_norman) _friendship_ Cicely is a close friend of Madeleine, sharing confidences and social outings. ### [Rob Fessenden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/rob_fessenden) _friendship_ Cicely and Rob are friendly acquaintances, often interacting within their mutual social circle. ### [Schuyler Carleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/schuyler_carleton) _social_ Cicely and Schuyler are polite acquaintances, with no significant personal bond. ### [Rob Fessenden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/rob_fessenden) _friendship_ Cicely and Rob are friendly acquaintances, often interacting within their mutual social circle. ### [Madeleine Van Norman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/madeleine_van_norman) _friendship_ Cicely is a close friend of Madeleine, sharing confidences and social outings. ### [Schuyler Carleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/schuyler_carleton) _social_ Cicely and Schuyler are polite acquaintances, with no significant personal bond. ## In the story ### [Miss Morton Arrives](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/ii-miss-morton-arrives) Madeleine's private secretary, who takes final wedding lists and is then dismissed for the night. ### [III: A Cry in the Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/iii-a-cry-in-the-night) First to respond to the cry; stares intently at Carleton and later at the suicide note, showing bewilderment and suspicion. ### [Suicide or ⸻?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/iv-suicide-or) Comforts Miss Morton and leads her away, showing loyalty and concern. ### [VI: Fessenden Comes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/vi-fessenden-comes) Greets Fessenden and informs him of the tragedy. ### [VII: Mr. Benson’s Questions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/vii-mr-benson-s-questions) Flies into violent hysterics upon hearing the coroner's statements and is taken from the room. ### [A Soft Lead Pencil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/viii-a-soft-lead-pencil) Confesses to writing the suicide note, refuses to explain why, and displays a defiant attitude. ### [IX: The Will](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/ix-the-will) Testifies about her last conversation with Madeleine and becomes agitated when noting the absence of notes Madeleine intended to write. ### [X: Some Testimony](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/x-some-testimony) Confesses to writing the suicide note but refuses to explain the 'S.' in it; becomes emotionally distressed during testimony. ### [XI: “I Decline to Say”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/xi-i-decline-to-say) Contradicts Hunt's timing, glares at Carleton, and is forced to rewrite the suicide note, proving she authored it. ### [XII: Dorothy Burt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/xii-dorothy-burt) Mentioned as a person of interest; Fessenden and Kitty plan to interview her for information. ### [An Interview with Cicely](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/xiii-an-interview-with-cicely) Reveals her secret love for Schuyler Carleton, admits writing the suicide note, and faints when confronted about timeline inconsistencies. ### [XV: Fessenden’s Detective Work](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/xv-fessenden-s-detective-work) Reported to be ill and rambling, suggesting a guilty conscience. ### [Carleton Is Frank](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/xviii-carleton-is-frank) Her later evidence contradicts her earlier statements; she often faints in the witness chair, and no one is sure whether these attacks are real or assumed. ### [The Truth About Miss Burt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/xix-the-truth-about-miss-burt) Suspected by Carleton and Fessenden of writing deceptive notes to Carleton pretending to be Madeleine. ### [XX: Cicely's Flight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/xx-cicely-s-flight) Flees Mapleton suddenly, leaving behind evidence that suggests her possible guilt. ### [A Successful Pursuit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/chapters/xxi-a-successful-pursuit) Found by Fessenden at Grand Central Station; confesses she lied about the time Carleton entered and fled because she feared he was the murderer, not because she was guilty. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters/cicely_dupuy - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_clue_se/characters