Enid Lindeman: Lady Killmore

Hello you! You've been asking for some Aussie history so here we are! I am so excited to chat with you about Enid Lindeman, the Sydney wine heiress who inherited 3 fortunes from 4 husbands, all of whom died! She became an ambulance driver in WW1 and resistance hero in WW2, was one of the first people to step foot in King Tut's tomb, and had more lovers than I’ve had hot dinners. She also drove her cheetah around the streets of London in a Bentley and then saved big cats at a sanctuary in Africa before facing accusations of being a multi-murderess! I think you'll love this one guys, and I'm keen as always to hear your thoughts! Shout out to our incredible researcher Grace McCamish for pulling this together, and if you're wanting more Hot History you can follow along on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/hothistoryclub/?hl=en, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@hot.history?lang=en and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@hot.history and of course, right here! Til next week, Ainslie x

• 0:00Speaker 00

  She really was fabulous in all she did, guys. Treading the line between propriety and scandal with acrobatic precision. She always maintained one foot in the real world and the other in a land of almost mythic creation. Again, I want to reiterate here, how does this woman not have her own show?

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• 1:37Speaker 00

  Hi guys and welcome back to Hot History, your corner of the internet where we cover all the things in history that you probably should know, but don't. I'm Ainslie Harvey, your hot historian here, ready to chat about one of my personal Roman empires. So as an Aussie, of course, you know, I'm always keen to dig into the stories of our past, especially when they have to do with women. And when those women are born and raised not 30 minutes from my house, you best believe I'm going to have a new parasocial obsession here. And I think you guys will too. Because this story is genuinely insane, like.

• 2:20Speaker 00

  I know I say this every week, guys, so kind of taking it with a grain of salt at this point, but seriously, this story should be a Netflix mini-series. Netflix? If you're listening, give me a call because we need to make this happen ASAP. This is the tale of a Sydney wine heiress who inherited three fortunes from four husbands, all of whom died, then became an ambulance driver in World War I and resistance hero in World War II, was one of the first people to step foot in King Tut's tomb, had more lovers than I've had hot dinners, and drove her cheetah around the streets of London in a Bentley and opened a big cat sanctuary in Africa, before then facing accusations of being a

• 3:03Speaker 00

  multi-murderess. Yeah, like I said, drama. This is the story of Enid Lindeman, so let's get into it by rewinding it all the way back to 1843 in Sydney, Australia. Now, we find one Dr. Henry John Lindeman, renowned English physician who migrated to Australia in 1843, where he established a vineyard in the prolific Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, which is now one of Australia's most famous wine-producing districts. It is gorgeous. If you guys haven't been, then definitely go. International listeners, add it to your list. Aussie listeners, make sure you take a visit. Now, while he was

• 3:46Speaker 00

  trained as a doctor, as a physician, Lindeman developed a real passion for viticulture and winemaking, laying the foundations for what is now a globally recognised business in Lindeman Wines. Over time, the once small family business expanded, giving the Lindeman family and their bank account a serious boost. Now, Dr. Henry's son, Charles Frederick, married Florence Edith Chapman, the daughter of a local reverend, and together they had seven children, three boys and four girls, one of whom was young Enid. Now, Enid, her parents and siblings all relocated from the Hunter Valley region to a gorgeous town in Strathfield, just outside of Sydney, where she then spent her childhood.

• 4:32Speaker 00

  Despite being part of the upper echelon of society, the Lindeman children were encouraged to spend their time outdoors, soaking up the Sydney sun, where Enid was often spotted on horseback with reins in one hand and a gun in the other. Her life in "the wild", as she called it, fostered a bold and brazen spirit in the young heiress, who would spend the rest of her life searching for the next adventure, which led her to Roderick Cameron. The 45-year-old New York shipping magnate was rich, notoriously single, and dumb-struck by the beautiful, red-headed 21-year-old when he arrived on Sydney shores to do business with Enid's father.

• 5:14Speaker 00

  Despite him being twice the age of the young heiress, Roderick proposed linking the wine and shipping dynasties together in marriage with one almighty fortune to spend. And Sydney wasn't really the place to do that. But if there is one place on God's green earth where money is meant to be spent, it is New York City. So, quick sticks, after saying their vows and exchanging rings, the pair set off for the shores of Staten Island, where they lived on a luscious 200-acre estate. Here, Enid settled into married life, but a wild spirit cannot be contained, even if it has 200 acres to roam on. No.

• 5:56Speaker 00

  You see, what Enid was, was bored, and as such, spent most of her time in Manhattan, becoming an absolute darling of New York society. She hosted garden parties, gala dinners, and grand receptions, attracting exciting and beguiling Americans and foreigners alike. They loved her for both her wild fervor and her looks, with her flashy auburn hair turning heads by all who passed. In fact, it was said that New York traffic would come to a halt at the corner of 34th and Madison, as passengers paused to catch sight of the young Australian stepping out of her city apartment. And this isn't hyperbole, guys, I want to be really clear.

• 6:36Speaker 00

  She is stunning, with her beauty admired by both men and women, who heralded the soft glow of her golden skin and striking features as, quote, "a vision of perfection".

• 6:50Speaker 00

  Now, while this praise and attention from, you know, men and women alike may have made the more insecure and feeble men feel a little emasculated or threatened, Rodrick became even more enamored with his gorgeous young wife, so much so that he made her the sole beneficiary of his empire after she fell pregnant with his son Rory. But all good things must come to an end and after only two years of marriage Rodrick died of cancer, leaving a widowed and most importantly incredibly wealthy Enid behind. While accounts on just how much Enid inherited vary, they range from one to several millions.

• 7:34Speaker 00

  Now, assuming the lowest of this, right, is one million US dollars in 1914, that would be worth roughly between thirty to thirty-five million US dollars today, while the upper end of that scale would equate to well over a hundred million US dollars today. So, this is a huge amount of money and Rodrick's death left Enid as one of the wealthiest young widows of her time. This, paired with her appetite for fun, meant that she spent less time in her Staten Island home and far more time in the city where she immersed herself amongst the fashion scene. Wearing the finest couture from the finest houses, she was often seen dripping in diamonds and lace as she walked up Fifth Avenue. But

• 8:17Speaker 00

  once again, she was bored guys and with the early days of World War I, seeing the strapping young gents of New York being shipped out to army camps across the globe, Enid found herself longing for both purpose and entertainment. Now, for the vast majority of us, the threat of global war is a pretty good reason to stay away from Europe, but for Enid, this was no dice. After all, she was twenty-three and used to a life of adventure from her childhood, so with no husband to tell her what to do and extensive teams of nannies to care for her son, twenty-three-year-old Enid shipped out across the Atlantic for Paris, where she was determined to contribute to the war effort by joining the medical corps.

• 9:02Speaker 00

  This, of course, guys, is incredibly admirable. And while she had no formal training, she insisted on being useful in some capacity. And as such, used her extensive funds to purchase her own vehicle, which she kidded out, again, at her own expense, into a brand new ambulance. Learning how to drive, she carted injured soldiers in her nurse's uniform during the day, clearing out blood-soaked bandages and banged-up equipment bags for hours on end, before then changing into her beads and veils at night. Oh, yes, my divas. You see, Enid, while, of course, wanting to help, was still determined that she and the officers would have a good time.

• 9:48Speaker 00

  This was, as you can pretty well imagine, much to the chagrin of army officials, including the Earl of Derby, whose responsibility it was to keep his soldiers in line, which they were, for Enid Lindemann. This woman generated more hysteria than a Victorian doctor's office, guys, suspending even the finest of soldiers in orbit. In fact, one young man was so enamored with the young Aussie that he threatened to take his own life if he couldn't have her. Meanwhile, another's wife wrote to Enid, asking where she intended to be buried because her husband wished to lie beside her for eternity. Like, imagine, your husband's at war and probably gonna die, and you get a note saying,

• 10:32Speaker 00

  "Hey, can you bury me next to this hot medic? Love you, bye." Like, what the fuck? Anyway, this went on for months and became such a problem that the army had to step in, with the Earl of Derby taking on the task of finding Enid a husband as a matter of national security. Which is when we meet Frederick Caviar Cavendish. He was young, hot, and while gentle in nature, had a particular love of strong women. He was also a champion polo player and war hero, so quite the catchy. And as a friend of the Earl, he was the perfect solution to the Enid problem. But why would Enid agree to marry this guy? And, you know, it's a fair question. After all, she clearly has plenty of men at her disposal and plenty of money.

• 11:17Speaker 00

  Well, it turned out that Enid hated admin and needed someone to manage her massive fortune. And while certainly not a fan of boring, I guess she did see the value in stability. So after a quick introduction, which confirmed their mutual attraction, the pair were married in July 1917. At this point, the war had a little under 18 months remaining, which Enid spent in Paris. After which she joined Caviar and his regiment for their post-war posting in Egypt. She's quite the globetrotter, like I said. Later describing this time as the happiest in her life, Enid now spent her days having picnics along the Nile and her nights gambling, sleeping through the regiment and crossdressing while playing the piano.

• 11:58Speaker 00

  She truly lived it up in this exotic land with its hot fervour amplifying the wildness she yearned for from childhood. Which makes sense that it was here she met her next lover. Honestly, get this woman on Call Her Daddy because outrageously doesn't even begin to cut it here, okay? Now, his name, for the well-seasoned hot historians amongst us, will not be a surprise. But for those of you who don't know who the Earl of Carnarvon is, let's do a little recap. He is born to the famed Herbert family of Highclere Castle, aka Downton Abbey. George, his name, was the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, whose title as a British aristocrat, passion for Egyptology and bank account led him to finance archaeologist Howard Carter's excavation of the Valley of the Kings,

• 12:42Speaker 00

  all of which resulted in Tutankhamun's tomb being discovered on the 4th of November, 1922. It was this expedition which brought Carnarvon to Egypt, where he in turn met Enid. The two then began an affair almost instantly, with Enid sitting in on George and Howard's debates over cartography, sand sampling and surveys, and she soon found herself, like any sane person does, falling in love with history. Oh yes, guys, you best believe our girl was a proper hot historian. Learning the tales of lost tombs and mystic afterlives, all of which became real when Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun a few months later. Enid was actually there.

• 13:27Speaker 00

  Can you imagine? Becoming one of the first people in history to lay eyes on the famous tomb minutes after its discovery. This, of course, is incredible and on any other day I'd probably say like I'd do anything to be there. But there is a bit of a nasty curse associated with this tomb's opening. One which saw the Earl of Carnarvon and his dog both kick the bucket. So I think I might leave this one to Enid. Just on this one occasion, guys, I'm not, I'm not fucking with curses if I didn't give that away enough with the Hope Diamond last week, okay? But once again, guys, nothing lasts forever. And despite Egypt perhaps being the most suitable place on earth for Enid,

• 14:09Speaker 00

  duty called and the reliable Caviar always answered, resulting in the two heading home to Hampshire, England. Now, don't get me wrong here. The English countryside, gorgeous, beautiful, right? And they soon had two children to keep them busy. But Enid is no housewife. She was hardly gonna stay put, you know, changing nappies and tending to the hedges. Instead, she filled her time with a variety of pursuits and passions from learning to drive a sports car, playing golf with the Prince of Wales and spending time travelling Europe clad in Chanel suits. All the while, Caviar remained at home on whatever government business he was tasked with.

• 14:50Speaker 00

  This all suited Enid very well, whose life transformation was paired with her own very physical transformation. After a nasty bout of pneumonia caused her flaming red locks to be permanently bleached white, transforming the former Jessica Robert-esque siren into a hot, young Cruella de Vil. She, of course, also had a string of lovers along the way during this time, one of whom threw himself in front of a train when she dismissed him, while another blew himself up when she wouldn't let him through her front door. There was no denying it. Men loved Enid. However, after Caviar showed up dead in their Paris apartment in 1931, questions of whether her attraction was fatal began to spread.

• 15:36Speaker 00

  And it's not hard to see why. A string of dead lovers and now two husbands? I mean, there's only so much coincidence that the public can spare even after the war. The suspicion however did eventually die down, no pun intended, when it was proven that Caviar died of a brain hemorrhage, but still, the growing tally of dead men in her wake began to raise eyebrows from New York to Nice. A widow for the second time in her life and at only 39 years old, might I add, Enid soon began an affair with the sixth richest man in the world, Viscount Marmaduke, or Duke Finesse. Yeah, she really knows how to pick them guys, that's for sure.

• 16:19Speaker 00

  Now, he was in no uncertain terms, obsessed with the young Aussie, so much so that he threw in a winning hand of poker at the Casino de Monte Carlo for the chance to simply speak with her. Once they were introduced, Duke showered Enid in jewels, flowers, and a fleet of Rolls Royces, and the two began one of the most prolific love affairs, with Enid only agreeing to marry him in 1933, once he put a private jet at her disposal 24/7. So lucky Enid goes from one fortune to another with Duke owning a railroad, two yachts, planes, cars, several mansions, and a safari lodge in Kenya, where Enid fell in love yet

• 17:03Speaker 00

  again with a foreign and wild land. Here, she joined the Happy Valley set, who we spoke about a few episodes ago with our Kiki Preston episode, but if you didn't happen to listen to that one, they were basically a collection of aristocratic misfits who lived around the shores of Lake Nibashar, and it was amongst this company in the Kenyan highlands where Enid spent several weeks every year doing all matter of wild things. From racing zebras, studying exotic birds, and as she later recalled, stepping over naked bodies from orgies the night before. Again, I do recommend you go and listen to that Kiki Preston episode if you want more Happy Valley info.

• 17:45Speaker 00

  But fun wasn't the only thing Enid was having in Kenya, for it was here that her first encounter with morphine occurred. Abusing the opioid for its dopamine fix, Enid quickly became addicted, taking it several times a day to keep up with her fellow Happy Valley set members. Soon, she found her days shortening as she slept late and partied early, with her entire existence revolving around her next hit. This was a real turning point for Enid. A moment in time where she realised she had taken a wrong path after all. This is hardly the kind of person to be controlled by anyone or anything.

• 18:29Speaker 00

  So she slowly and successfully weaned herself off morphine, vowing to never ever touch it again. But Duke, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. Instead, turning deeper into his drug use, becoming both an addict and an aggressive one at that. This, of course, put the couple's marriage on thin ice, which they attempted to remedy in 1939 with real estate and relocation. Packing up and shipping out for the French Riviera, Enid and Duke purchased Villa La Fiorentina, a gorgeous home which Enid filled with an army of staff in the hopes of keeping Duke, who was later diagnosed with OCD, happy. But her plan failed, and when Duke got worse, she took multiple lovers between Monaco and London, leading him to threaten for divorce.

• 19:15Speaker 00

  Now, even though Evelyn was a prolific philanderer and a twice widow, she'd never been divorced and had no plans of starting now. After all, even with her own fortune and her wild spirit, she dared not disturb the foundations of proper society.

• 19:31Speaker 00

  So what did she do? Well, she did the most Enid thing imaginable. Inspired by her past lovers, she threatened to throw herself in front of a taxi if he proceeded with the divorce. Duke freaked out and instantly sobered up, sending out a search party for his wife, only to discover, and hang on to your hats here, that she hadn't gone AWOL and in fact was at a London clinic recovering from a facelift.

• 19:58Speaker 00

  Now, I've watched my fair share of The Real Housewives, but this takes the cake for the most dramatic flair and excuse I've ever seen. Like, to be this rich must just be wild, like, the drama.

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• 21:12Speaker 00

  Oh my god. Now, Duke was obviously furious at his wife's deception, so the pair did separate briefly, but ended up reconciling in France a few weeks before the start of World War II. Here, Duke grew increasingly ill as the threat of Nazi Germany bore down on France. And while they were safer at Villa La Fiorentina than they would be in Paris, the threat is still very real here. So much so that Duke insisted Enid immediately return to London, but she refused to leave his side. He was dying. He knew it, she knew it, and by 1940, when he was struck down with cirrhosis of the liver, the world knew it too.

• 21:53Speaker 00

  This left Enid, who was now a three-time widow, alone in Nazi-occupied France. Cut off from both her original fortune and what she would inherit from Duke's death, Enid was forced to sell her jewels and art, buying goats to make butter and cheese to survive. Despite this, though, Enid never faltered. She was courageous, taking danger in her stride by becoming a part of the Allied Resistance network. After all, Aussies are nothing but hardy, and with nerves of steel, Enid helped smuggle countless Allied soldiers out to Spain before making a daring escape herself. But where to go after this? I mean, the world is at war for a second time. Does she go back to Australia?

• 22:39Speaker 00

  I mean, it's a pretty far way to go, across the oceans. Maybe New York or Staten Island. Still, she has to cross U-boat territory. No, there was only one solution, and it was London. And this was by no means the city she had left. This was now London under the Blitz, and as the bombs dropped and the concrete shook, Enid felt helpless. Weeks earlier, she'd been a part of the Resistance, and now she was just at home, living life as though it was business as usual. She couldn't take it, and to her credit, throughout both wars, she always got stuck in and helped. So she decided not to waste her time in London, only on frivolity, and instead took up welding classes at a nearby workshop.

• 23:22Speaker 00

  Now, for those of you who don't know what welding is, it's basically where you bond, like, all these different metal pieces together by melting them with these really hot machine-gun things. My dad welds, so I know what it looks like, but it's actually kind of hard to describe. Just take my word for it, there's like bright lights and sparks, and it's hot, so you have to wear these, like, headgear things. You guys are smart, you'll figure it out, I trust you, right? Basically, my premise here, this isn't packing crates or like dealing with documents. It's proper skill and hard labour. And that is what Enid was signing up for. But as per usual, she wanted to do it in her own way. So she showed up for day one of welding school, decked out in head to toe scaparelli couture.

• 24:07Speaker 00

  This went on for weeks, after which she got later and later and later to class, eventually convincing her superiors to set her up with a machine at home to avoid the early call times we love a working from home queen. And Enid took full advantage of her new setup, guys. Welding whenever and wherever she could. But her favourite place was apparently her bouteille. As told by her daughter Patricia, she recalled seeing her mother dressed in blue lace and feathers with a welding machine in one hand in the midst of a project, and the American ambassador on his knees kissing the other. She really was fabulous in all she did, guys.

• 24:50Speaker 00

  Treading the line between propriety and scandal with acrobatic precision. She always maintained one foot in the real world and the other in a land of almost mythic creation. Again, I want to reiterate here, how does this woman not have her own show? Netflix, call me, let's make it happen.

• 25:18Speaker 00

  Now during the war, yes, Enid had her work, which by all accounts she actually enjoyed, but she was still bored. Unfortunately for her and straight women everywhere, she loved men. And with her continental lovers stuck across the pond, Enid was left with little options. We know this because she rekindled an old flame with one Valentine Castelros, the Earl of Kenma.

• 25:45Speaker 00

  Now, he was decidedly not hot. Like, remember Caviar, the young, hot polo player, war hero? Yeah, this guy is the exact opposite. He was obese, titled and in need of a fortune, while Enid, on the other hand, was bored rich and liked the idea of being a lady. So, the two married in 1943. As such, Enid moved into the couple's countryside manner, where she and her children were initially happy, until eight months in, where Castoros, much like Duke, grew increasingly aggressive. On one occasion, when she told him she was pregnant, he threw a chair at her and screamed "whore", to which Enid replied, "I might be a whore, but it seems to me I'm the one paying for your services."

• 26:30Speaker 00

  Now, while I may be gagged at this response and filing away under things to say, this whole pregnancy thing with Castoros was actually really, really concerning. First, he refused to accept he was the father of the child and grew increasingly bitter and aggressive, eating and drinking his way to a massive heart attack, which killed him shortly after, which makes him dead husband number four for Enid, so obviously no stranger to widowhood here. But pregnant widowhood was something else. And the stakes were high for this one, because the Kenmar estate was riding on the contents of her womb. You see, while Castoros already had a son who would inherit,

• 27:13Speaker 00

  any claims that her potential child laid to the estate was a big complication, one which Enid decided she didn't need. So she told people she decided to have an abortion. However, it came out years later that this wasn't what she actually wanted, and rather, Castoros's mother pressured Enid into this by telling her she was convinced that any child which came of Enid would be, quote, "an idiot."

• 27:40Speaker 00

  After that, and unsurprisingly, Enid decided she was done with husbands. And having finally inherited Duke's fortune after a lengthy legal case, she began indulging in a series of hobbies that would define her later life. A lover of animals, she had a parrot who she trained to say phone every time someone rang, a hyrax that she trained to use the toilet, and a pet cheater, who she would load up in her Bentley and drive down to Hyde Park for a daily walk. At Villa La Fiorentina, she also dined with Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth, spending her nights at the casino tables across from sultans and princes, whom she bested for every cent. In Kenya, she established a wildly successful stud farm with her daughter,

• 28:25Speaker 00

  accompanied her son on visits to India and even came home to Australia several times, where she swam in the Great Barrier Reef. Everywhere she went, she found beauty, adventure, and as always, men. There was the young man who jumped off a boat and drowned in Sydney Harbour after she dumped him at the end of the voyage, and a string of wannabe actors who delighted and desired her in equal measure. She loved men, not just for the romance of it, but their company, even appointing a young man named Walter to be her ladies' maid, and four footmen to be her personal bathers. Then, of course, there was Somerset Morem, the novelist's turned best friend to Enid, who gave her the infamous nickname Lady Killmore,

• 29:10Speaker 00

  after the suspicion around her four dead husbands began to grow in later years. Yes, I suppose it's time we addressed the elephant in the room. As the years passed on, and her inherited fortunes grew one by one, the suspicious timings of her husbands' deaths became a favourite topic for gossip columnists. From Rodrick's initial passing, which, you know, fair enough, he was old and had cancer, to the young caviar's sudden turn, and then Duke and Casaros, which again, all easily explained away by poor health, but still, it kind of seemed that Enid was cursed. This was, you know, of course, false fodder.

• 29:54Speaker 00

  And if any of us were having rumours like this splashed across the front pages, we'd be mortified. But there was something about the mythology of Lady Killmore that Enid actually began to adoy. On one occasion, a guest at her villa told those in attendance that, quote, "Apparently there's a lady on Caparais who's killed all her husbands." The group reportedly all fell silent, turning to Enid, who simply asked her son, "Did I really kill them all?" I imagine this humour was largely used to kill the painfully awkward sting of such a comment, but as the months passed, she leant into the Lady Killmore narrative even further. On one of her trips home, for example, she was pressed by an Aussie journalist on the

• 30:38Speaker 00

  subject, replying, "I don't bother with divorce, it's too messy, I just kill my husbands." Again, it wasn't true, but we see the mythology of Lady Killmore build through Enid, who was a self-confessed mythomaniac, loving the idea that her extraordinary life would live on as legend. Or at least that was until 1954. Yes. You see, there comes a point in everyone's lives when we turn to the idea of legacy. Right? How will we be remembered? Who will remember us? And how long shall I remain a part of the conversation with a macro?

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• 32:15Speaker 00

  Or micro. Enid was sure she wanted to be remembered and never felt ashamed of her life or her decisions in any way, but there was a point where her memory being reduced to that of a quadruple murderess really pained her. And that point was the death of Donald Bloomingdale. For those of you who don't know, he was the heir to the Bloomingdale Department Store fortune and a man who loved to party. Often seen running in and out of the Waldorf Astoria, Carlisle Hotel, and wherever else the finest parties were being thrown, he was a renowned drug abuser who met Enid several times on her trips to the States, including in 1954.

• 32:58Speaker 00

  Now, while Enid had sworn off morphine forever, she still dabbled in some other substances, including but not limited to heroin. And it was at a party on March 4th, 1954, that Donald, who knew this, approached her, asking for heroin. Now, according to reports of the night, she apparently gave Donald some of the substance before then leaving the party herself. This, although wrong, was super common and we'd never hear anything of it again, if not for the fact the next morning Donald showed up dead with the handkerchief bearing Enid's initials and traces of heroin still in his hand.

• 33:36Speaker 00

  Yet again, Enid, or shall I say Lady Killmore here, was at the centre of another scandal. An investigation was launched straight away and while Enid was eventually cleared of all charges, the association with so many men's deaths and the moniker Lady Killmore really began to upset her. So much so that she reportedly ran out of a dinner when asked about her nickname, hitchhiking back to her hotel, rather than acknowledging her host's capriciousness. It only got worse with her sadness over the moniker driving further suspicion of her guilt. So, sick of the stares and the endless whispers, Enid, now in her late 60s, decided to remove herself.

• 34:21Speaker 00

  Return to a wild and exotic land where she could be free. And with endless choices between Australia, Egypt and Africa, all of which she had described as "the wild" and spent many fun-filled years in, she decided to choose Kenya. Here, alongside her daughter Patricia, Enid opened an exotic animal shelter, caring for orphaned or injured animals who were sent to her care from all across Africa. This was something she found real joy and fulfillment in, which I think is really important here, guys, because looking at the life of Enid Lindeman, it's clear she had a lot of fun, but I also think it's clear she probably had very few things which were truly gratifying.

• 35:05Speaker 00

  You know, men she loved, but in a playful way, women she never quite understood, but animals? There was a true connection here. Whether it was her parrot, hyrax or cheetah in Europe, or the exotic animals and countless horses she had in Kenya, she found peace amongst them, with her golden years being spent nursing cheetah cubs and hand-feeding lions, giving back to the natural world and marveling in its beauty. Despite this, though, Enid still struggled.

• 35:37Speaker 00

  Age hadn't been kind to her, with an old back injury flaring up, leaving her constantly in pain. She refused to carry on about it, though, saying that her personal motto was to never be afraid, never be jealous, and never complain when you're ill. Something which I deeply respect but could absolutely never do. I mean, I love a whinge when I'm sick. Let's be real, we all do. Man flu, there's a whole term for it. Except, of course, Enid, who actually refused to have anything stronger than Coca-Cola for her pain, fearing that her old morphine addiction would return if she had any medicine. She, as always, soldiered on. A brave and bold soul whose Aussie spirit rubbed off on many of the people in her life.

• 36:20Speaker 00

  And she wanted to go out her own way, spending each day surrounded by wonderful people and wonderful animals whom she cared for until she took her last breath in January 1972, three days short of her 80th birthday.

• 36:38Speaker 00

  So there we have Enid Lindeman, the breaker of hearts, rules, and, depending on who you ask, perhaps even next, this Sydney sider truly was a free and fierce woman who did exactly what she pleased, where she pleased, with whom she pleased, which saw her live an incredible life, genuinely one which her female ancestors, even me now, could never have dreamed possible. It was full of adventure, full of passion and danger, and it gave her a zest for life. But it also bred the mythomania which permanently damaged her historical legacy. Obsessed with being remembered at any cost, Enid's endorsement of the Lady Killmore identity

• 37:22Speaker 00

  in the middle part of her life has largely become the primary focus of both historians and writers, who define Enid's life in relation not to what she did or saw, but rather to the men she was engaged with. And I get it, I mean, after all, what is more scandalous than a murderous widow? But this is a fantasy, guys. One which has seen the true depth of this incredible, multifaceted woman overlooked. This wasn't a girl gone boy crazy or some vengeful murderess. This is a woman who was a patron for the exotic and the misunderstood. Someone who championed the poor, involved herself in both world wars and dedicated large portions of her fortune to rescuing animals.

• 38:08Speaker 00

  These were all things she took genuine pride and pleasure in doing and retrospectively the things for which her legacy should have reflected. But they're overlooked and dominated by the grand shadow of Lady Killmore. Pushed by the media, again, reflected by historians and writers, and amplified now by pop culture. Enid's historical record is largely myth. As are so many of the women we know today. I mean Cleopatra, right? A man eater. All a product of Roman propaganda. Anne Boleyn, the slut. A false charge pushed by Catholics and picked up by misogynists. It's, it's easy to focus on the myth because it's dramatic. It catches the attention, it's exciting.

• 38:53Speaker 00

  Plus, it often plays into patriarchal systems. But the reality is that Enid Lindeman doesn't need to be a serial husband killer to be fascinating. She's outrageous on her own. The facts, not the tapploid spin. And so today, I would like to exchange this for the truth. Enid Lindeman deserves to be remembered as the woman who, no matter the setback, managed to reinvent herself into something ever grander at every single point and turn in her life. Finding pleasure, passion, and a plethora of penises along the way, Enid should live on as the greatest example that nothing can keep a good or bad girl down.

• 39:39Speaker 00

  Which brings us to the end of another episode of Hot History. Thank you so much for following along with me on this episode, guys. I have been loving that you're asking for more Aussie history. So I will continue to put in Aussie stories for you guys. Make sure to come back next week because while not an Australian story, we are covering one of history's biggest baddies. You guys have been in my DMs begging for this episode and I am nothing if not obliging. So we will be deep diving into the life, the loves and the lies of one Anne Berlin. I'm sorry, guys, honestly, it's going to be huge. So make sure to tune in.

• 40:23Speaker 00

  And if you enjoyed today's episode, then please feel free to leave us a review or even share it with your friends if you think they'll enjoy it. As always, guys, if you are looking for some more hot history before then, then you can follow us on Instagram at Hot History Club and on TikTok at Hot.History. It has been a pleasure getting down and dirty in time with you and I will speak to you all shortly. Thanks, guys. Love you. Bye.

• 40:51Speaker 03

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