Free The Temptress: The Scandalous Life of Alice De Janze and the Mysterious Death of Lord Erroll by Paul Spicer Page B

drawn like moths to the magnificent Muthaiga, its cellar filled with fine French wines, its well-appointed rooms offering comfort and elegance, along with the opportunity to socialize with friends over an infinite number of cocktails. Race weeks took place twice a year, at Christmas and in midsummer, during which times the Muthaiga overflowed with revelers—balls were held every evening, with members dressed to the nines, and the dancing lasted until dawn. Alice and Frédéric had been made temporary members of Muthaiga soon after their arrival, ensuring that they found themselves at the very center of colonial social life. Full membership would follow by virtue of D’s backing.
    For the last two months of the de Janzés’ stay in Kenya, Frédéric hired a Ford car so that they would be able to drive to the Muthaiga and explore the surrounding area without relying on Idina or Joss to chauffeur them around. It was on one of their regular visits to Nairobi that they were introduced to Roy and Margaret Spicer, a couple recently arrived from Ceylon. English-born Roy was serving as the commissioner of police for Kenya. His new wife was American and had a nine-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. Frédéric was delighted to strike up a friendship with the Kenyan head of police, but the strongest bond was between Alice and Margaret. Alice found she had much in common with this well-dressed thirty-two-year-old. Like Alice, Margaret was from the States but had spent time in Europe and spoke fluent French, having been educated in Montreux. Margaret was often invited to stay at Slains, where she kept Alice, Frédéric, Joss, and Idina in fits of laughter with her imitations. Margaret had a talent for mimicry: She would impersonate the people she’d encountered on the boat trip out and the pompous manners of the Nairobi government officials.
    It was during visits to Slains that Alice taught Margaret how to play the ukulele. The two women would often entertain Joss, Idina, and their guests after dinner with popular and traditional American songs. Alice and Margaret had complementary voices: Alice had a rather deep and husky contralto voice, and Margaret, who had trained as a soprano in Florence, possessed a higher and sweeter one. The two women would sit together on the descending lawn in front of the house as if on a stage. Guests would drive their cars into a half circle facing them, switching on headlights to illuminate the scene. One of Alice’s and Margaret’s duets was the following folk song from the Deep South:
     
     
    There is an old log cabin and it’s a beautiful place
    In that old log cabin, there is my baby waiting for me.
    And it won’t be long, until I hear that song
    Ringing in the fields of cotton and I’ll rejoice
    When I hear that voice saying Baby
    Oh yeah, there is an old log cabin…
     
     
    They also performed George Gershwin hits, such as “Swanee” and “Oh, Lady Be Good,” as well as duets in French. Such performances became much talked about amongst the settler society of the times, and Alice would be asked to play and sing wherever she went.
    It was through Roy and Margaret that the de Janzés first came into contact with the governor of Kenya, Sir Edward Grigg, and his wife, Joan. Roy Spicer had already won the respect of the handsome and commanding governor: Edward Grigg approved of Roy’s impressive service record during World War I—he had been awarded an MC (Military Cross) in France—and his highly effective reorganization of the Kenya police force, especially its African section. Roy’s morale-boosting innovations were much admired and included attention to the officers’ dress and the newly coined Kenya police motto, Salus Populi (the Latin motto means “service to the People” and it is still used today, although translated into Swahili). Roy also created cricket and football teams for the officers and developed Kenya’s first mounted police force, all of which helped to