Free Angelique by Carl Leckey Page B

during the war and have lived there since the armistice. By Jove! I am amazed you detected an accent I didn’t know I had one, you are very clever.”
    She informs me in a sad voice. “I used to be an actress. I should still be if it hadn’t been for the damned war and the flu. Hey would you believe I was in a couple of shows at the Argyle? An, I’ve played the Tivoli New Brighton.” She reveals proudly.
    “Wow!” I exclaim admiringly. Thinking of the show I had enjoyed with Peggy at the Argyle on my last trip to England. “You played the Argyle Eh! That’s some achievement for someone of your age.”
    She explains. “My speciality was playing foreign Ladies. I had a brilliant speech coach until she died. She used to be an actress herself until she got married. She’d been in lots of top plays and shows. She’d even played in London you know?”
    She sniffs back a tear. “It was my Mum actually. The bloody flu carried her off a couple of years ago. My Dad was a merchant seaman and got lost without trace in the first year of the war.”
    Slightly embarrassed I find myself having to ask the usual question. “Hilda with your obvious talent what are you doing?” I am at a loss for words she finishes my question for me. “On the game you’re going to say?” She grimaces. “Got three kids to feed since Mum snuffed it and an actress’s job ain’t as well paid as this one I can tell you.”
    “Bloomin Heck! Hilda! You don’t look old enough to have three kids. What does your husband think about your er profession?” She sees someone entering the far door. “There is one of my regulars just came in. By the way I ain’t married. Those kids I mentioned are my Brothers and a Sister.” I observe the man she has spotted and remark. “He looks a bit out of place in here Hilda he looks like a posh gent to me?” She laughs and explains. “He is as regular as clockwork every two weeks. For your education watch what happens in the next few minutes, he won’t let on to me he don’t want to be seen in public with the likes of me you understand, he has his reputation to look after? He only comes in to make sure I is available. He’ll have hiself one half pint of mild and makes sure I see’s him. Then he leaves a couple of minutes later. I follow’s him around to a posh place just round the corner in Hamilton square. I don’t go into the front door you understand? I have to go up the jigger and in through the back door. It ain’t his proper house where he lives. I know that cos the caretaker told me he rents it by the hour.”
    I gasp in amazement and encourage her to continue with her disclosures by sounding doubtful.
    She reveals more of the goings on of the local bigwigs once she begins it is hard to stop her. Not that I wanted to I must admit to enjoying her company and her gossipy disclosures. “Hmm! That’s nothing.” She continues indignantly when she detects doubt in my voice. “What if I was to tell you that lots of the other gentry from around here use the place in Hamilton Square?”
    She drops her voice to a whisper and reveals. “I was a bit late leavin one day. The daft bugger was crying so much I held back to give him a bit of a cuddle, just to comfort him like. Anyway, just I was going out of the back door, who would you believe was comin in the front door, and before you ask I know he was meetin one of my mates cos she told me?” I lean closer as she reveals. “It was only the bloomin vicar from the church I used to attend. You know the randy bugger baptised me? Hey! You should have heard the bloomin long boring sermons we used to sit through on a Sunday. He was always on about sinners burning in hells fire. I reckon he will be getting his arse scorched when he pops his clogs eh?” She giggles as she discloses this snippet. She takes a gulp of her drink and continues enthusiastically.
    “I was shocked to me inner bones I don’t mind telling you. That reminds me I asked my pal Judy what