MFM Presents… Royal Swindle

My Favorite Murder presents the premiere episode of our newest limited series podcast, Royal Swindle, produced by Exactly Right Media, Blanchard House and USG Audio and hosted by Becky Milligan. This is the story of two fabulously wealthy Australian women, who break onto the British social scene in 1996, promising rich investors spectacular returns. In Episode One, “The Horsey Set,” Evelyn Burton and her lover Laila Andre charm their way into the rarefied world of horses, old money and British high society. But behind the country houses, lavish plans and irresistible confidence, the couple are concealing a dark past and diabolical intentions. Head to Royal Swindle’s feed to follow the show and find additional episodes. New episodes drop every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  This is Exactly Right.

• 0:07Speaker 00

  911, what's your emergency?

• 0:09Speaker 01

  Please help us, they're everywhere. We think they're murder hornets. 911 Nashville returns.

• 0:17Speaker 02

  It's a homicide detective down here.

• 0:19Speaker 03

  Three bodies on the ground.

• 0:20Speaker 01

  With emergencies of biblical proportions.

• 0:23Speaker 03

  All sins swarms upon you and upon your people.

• 0:26Speaker 02

  That's one of the plagues of the Bible.

• 0:27Speaker 03

  And somebody's unleashing them on Nashville.

• 0:30Speaker 01

  Brian Phillippeach, 911 Nashville. All new Thursdays on ABC, next day on Hulu.

• 0:37Speaker 00

  Whether you're buying, renting, or selling, Zillow can help make your someday today. To help find a home that fits where you are in life, or that apartment that's a little closer to where you want to be. Zillow has the right information, tools, and support to help turn your future home into a reality. Because someday starts today. Visit zillow.com/today to get started.

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• 1:31Speaker 00

  Hello. We're so excited to share the first episode of Royal Swindle, our brand-new limited series from Exactly Right Media, Blanchard House, and USG Audio.

• 1:40Speaker 05

  Royal Swindle tells the story of two larger-than-life Australian women who arrive in England in the 1990s and charm their way into the world of old money, high society, and of course, horses.

• 1:50Speaker 00

  In fact, episode one is entitled "The Horsey Set", and it follows Evelyn Burton and her lover Laila Andre as they blow into town promising rich British investors spectacular returns.

• 2:01Speaker 05

  They're welcomed into rarefied social circles and even make plans to buy a massive country house with a full staff. But behind this rich facade, these women are hiding a dark past and some seriously diabolical intentions.

• 2:13Speaker 00

  So listen to Royal Swindle right now, episode one, "The Horsey Set", and then you can go see photos from the story at Exactly Right on Instagram.

• 2:21Speaker 05

  New episodes of Royal Swindle drop every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 2:27Speaker 00

  And while you're there, don't forget to like, subscribe, and review Royal Swindle.

• 2:31Speaker 05

  And now here's episode one of Royal Swindle. Goodbye.

• 2:38Speaker 06

  A quick warning. This story contains adult themes and strong language.

• 2:51Speaker 06

  1997, England. The Royal wins a horse show.

• 2:59Speaker 06

  An absolute must for the cream of British high society.

• 3:05Speaker 06

  But this is no ordinary year. In fact, it'll be remembered for a very long time. There's show jumping, carriage driving, dressage. And at this prestigious event, nowhere is more prestigious than the Royal enclosure. And this year, guess who's been spotted chatting to the Queen? Talking and laughing with Queen Elizabeth II. Two Australian women.

• 3:41Speaker 06

  Now, these Aussies are very charismatic. And here they are, gossiping away to Her Majesty about the huge country house they're about to buy. So it's all very jolly. But there's something the Queen doesn't know about this pair.

• 4:03Speaker 06

  Something none of the royal entourage knows.

• 4:08Speaker 06

  Something no one in the whole of England knows.

• 4:13Speaker 06

  This Aussie couple are a pair of crooks. They're cunning, they're smart, and they're up to no good. They want what these people have.

• 4:30Speaker 06

  Money. And they'll do anything to get it.

• 4:37Speaker 06

  If the blue-bloods and the landed gentry and this whole champagne-coffing crowd had any idea what's really going on,

• 4:48Speaker 06

  they'd run like wild horses.

• 4:57Speaker 06

  Now, nearly 30 years later, one of those crooks is ready to talk.

• 5:06Speaker 06

  I've regretted a lot of things I've done. A lot of things.

• 5:12Speaker 06

  I sold my soul to the devil.

• 5:18Speaker 06

  Look, I would say I'm very sorry,

• 5:22Speaker 06

  but whether I've mean it or not, I don't know.

• 5:40Speaker 06

  From USG Audio, Blanchard House, and Exactly Right Media, this is Royal Swindle. I'm Becky Milligan.

• 6:22Speaker 06

  Episode one, "The Horsey Set".

• 6:29Speaker 06

  September 1996.

• 6:36Speaker 06

  England's green and pleasant countryside, where the upper crust live in ancient country houses set in lush pastures, passed down from generation to generation. Here, the aristocracy entertain friends on a grand scale and enjoy their country pursuits. And there's one pastime they prize above all others.

• 7:03Speaker 06

  Horses. Sophia Money-Coots is an author and journalist. A lot of British people are really obsessed with horses. They live, eat, breathe horses.

• 7:18Speaker 06

  Breeding, riding, showing, and racing horses.

• 7:25Speaker 06

  And the people who move in these circles have a name. The Horsey Set.

• 7:32Speaker 06

  These people really can't live without their horses. And there's a sense of permanence to it all. Year in, year out, same people, same shows, bloodlines that can be traced back centuries. Continuity, a reassuring rhythm, a natural order. And the cost of maintaining this natural order is... Phenomenal. We were talking into the millions. But there's one thing you need to know about this world of old money. There's not always that much actual money knocking around. It's not all like Downton Abbey. There is that expression, asset-rich, cash-poor,

• 8:15Speaker 06

  which applies to a lot of posh people in this country. The money's tied up in all those crumbling, old, stately homes, which cost a fortune to run. So when someone new turns up, someone who's really wealthy, people can get quite excited, even if that someone doesn't quite fit in.

• 8:42Speaker 06

  And that's what happens in autumn 1996, when two charismatic outsiders blow in with plenty of spare cash. Two Australian millionaires, Laila Andre and Evelyn Burton, have arrived in the UK. Now, if the Horsey Set aren't in their jodhpurs and riding boots caked in mud in the saddle, they dress a bit like the late Queen. Rather conservative, pearls, headscarves, tweed skirts, and padded gilets, their body warmers. And let's just say Evelyn and Leila looked rather different.

• 9:26Speaker 06

  And they both had rather contrasting styles.

• 9:29Speaker 07

  Well, Evelyn Burton was a very large lady, not very feminine, dressed in a pair of very baggy jeans and a bomber jacket and some boots, I think, and this short haircut. And Leila was the complete opposite. Red hair, Leila, masses and masses and masses of red.

• 9:50Speaker 01

  And fingernails, every one painted a different colour.

• 9:54Speaker 03

  The clothes were so very, very colourful. She wore these flamboyant hats and the makeup and everything else like that.

• 10:01Speaker 07

  And it was the lipstick. She almost looked like a pantomime dame.

• 10:05Speaker 05

  It's a bit odd looking.

• 10:07Speaker 06

  They're flamboyant and larger than life.

• 10:11Speaker 07

  Hello, everybody.

• 10:14Speaker 06

  That's Laila Andre.

• 10:16Speaker 07

  Of course, it flowed. Oh, the champagne flowed, absolutely flowed. You know, I just would spoil myself.

• 10:27Speaker 06

  And the thing about these millionaires, Lila and Evelyn, they're not just business partners. They're much more than that. Lila remembers the first time they met 20 years earlier.

• 10:42Speaker 07

  In walks Evelyn. Love at first sight. I saw this woman and that was it. She had this aura around her.

• 10:54Speaker 07

  And I just could not believe what I was seeing. And I'm saying to myself, this is the woman that I want to live with. This is the woman that I want.

• 11:05Speaker 06

  The attraction was intoxicating.

• 11:10Speaker 07

  She was just beautiful. Everything about her was just beautiful. Her voice, the way she talked, her face, her eyes, her mouth. Look, she was stunning. She was the woman that I wanted and I'd wanted for a long, long time.

• 11:33Speaker 06

  Lila is bowled over by Evelyn. And now the horsey set of rural England is about to be bowled over by Evelyn and Lila. The appeal is, well, there's only one way to describe it.

• 11:46Speaker 05

  It was intoxicating stuff.

• 11:50Speaker 06

  That's Marjorie Ramsey. If any couple embodies the horsey set, it's got to be the Ramses. Marjorie and Richard know everyone and everyone knows them.

• 12:06Speaker 06

  Now, our Australian millionaire Evelyn is some kind of financial wizard and has turned thousands into millions, seemingly overnight. Evelyn's got investors all over the place, Ireland, Sweden, and now the rural shires of England.

• 12:26Speaker 05

  She had this man that she was always on the phone to in America. And she talked in millions of dollars and millions of pounds.

• 12:37Speaker 06

  Marjorie has never met anyone like Evelyn before. Even the way Evelyn says the word millions feels exotic.

• 12:47Speaker 05

  Millions. She didn't pronounce the L's.

• 12:50Speaker 06

  That's weird.

• 12:50Speaker 05

  Yes, but she was Australian.

• 12:53Speaker 06

  Lila and Evelyn have just entered Marjorie and Richard's world. Or should that be the other way around? Anyway, their lives are going to change forever. You know, all this business of I can turn any money you hand over to me. I can make it double, treble what it is. And the thing about Evelyn and Lila is that they don't just talk the talk. They walk the walk too. They may not have the bloodline, but they definitely have the credit line. It's only the very best of everything.

• 13:32Speaker 06

  First-class travel, chauffeur-driven Rolls Royces, top-notch restaurants and the very finest wines.

• 13:40Speaker 07

  Shuttle of feet, shuttle of tour. I mean, Evelyn had all this money.

• 13:45Speaker 06

  So Lila and Evelyn have made quite the entrance. But these two Aussies aren't just here on their summer vacation. They're here to stay and they have a plan, an ambitious plan. Part one.

• 14:00Speaker 07

  Buy a property?

• 14:01Speaker 06

  Not an ordinary property.

• 14:03Speaker 07

  Oh, no.

• 14:05Speaker 06

  More like a country estate or a stately home in the rolling English countryside. And the place will need to be big because of part two of their big plan. Evelyn and Lila want to start a stud farm. They want to breed horses.

• 14:28Speaker 06

  911, what's your emergency?

• 14:31Speaker 03

  Please help us, they're everywhere. We think they're murder hornets. 911 Nashville returns.

• 14:38Speaker 02

  What's a homicide detective doing here?

• 14:40Speaker 03

  Three bodies on the ground. With emergencies of biblical proportions. All since swarms upon you and upon your people.

• 14:47Speaker 02

  That's one of the plagues of the Bible.

• 14:48Speaker 03

  And somebody's unleashing them on Nashville. Brian Phillippe joins 911 Nashville. All new Thursdays on ABC, next day on Hulu.

• 14:58Speaker 00

  Whether you're buying, renting or selling, Zillow can help make your someday today. To help find a home that fits where you are in life or that apartment that's a little closer to where you want to be. Zillow has the right information, tools and support to help turn your future home into a reality. Because someday starts today. Visit zillow.com/today to get started.

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• 15:56Speaker 06

  A big house takes a while to find. And then, of course, it takes a while for the sale to go through. So in the meantime, they've taken up residence in one of London's finest hotels.

• 16:10Speaker 06

  The Barclay in the heart of Belgravia. And they've not just booked any old room here. A whole suite of rooms then.

• 16:19Speaker 07

  Absolutely, yes. Evelyn wanted everything.

• 16:23Speaker 06

  They pay upfront in cash and it's perfect.

• 16:28Speaker 07

  The boys there loved her. And whenever anyone delivered anything to the room, they were given a £5 note. Whenever she went out in the car, she'd flick a £1 coin, it was, to one of the boys. The staff loved her.

• 16:43Speaker 06

  Did they?

• 16:43Speaker 07

  Yes.

• 16:47Speaker 06

  The thing about London's posh hotels is that they might be in the hustle and bustle of the big city, but they're like an extension of the English countryside. Everyone knows everyone, especially if there's money to be made.

• 17:08Speaker 03

  I said to the doorman at the Barclay, if you have anybody who appears, who might want to buy property in country, give us a shout.

• 17:16Speaker 06

  Upmarket real estate agent Jonathan Harrington gets the tip-off from the doorman.

• 17:22Speaker 03

  That's how it started.

• 17:24Speaker 06

  He's round at the Barclay before you can blink, meeting the two women in their suite. He isn't disappointed. They don't make any secret of just how loaded they are.

• 17:39Speaker 03

  It was sort of Billy Big talk.

• 17:41Speaker 06

  He means they're boasting.

• 17:43Speaker 03

  We have racehorses, we have private jets, we have cars and we need a wonderful country house.

• 17:48Speaker 06

  A property with all the trimmings.

• 17:51Speaker 03

  20, 30 acres, cottage, stables, garaging.

• 17:55Speaker 07

  18 bedrooms, lounge, sitting room, buttless pantry, seven stoves, you name it.

• 18:02Speaker 06

  A tree-lined drive, large gardens, the list goes on.

• 18:08Speaker 07

  A lovely country home in the British countryside, where I might know one or two of the neighbours, but not very well. But if I needed a cup of sugar, I could bust them.

• 18:23Speaker 06

  So the real estate agent, Jonathan, is looking for Evelyn and Lila's dream home. But every big country house needs a household staff.

• 18:35Speaker 06

  They're pretty specific about their requirements. And when it comes to male staff, there's one non-negotiable.

• 18:44Speaker 07

  They've got to be gay guys. They're usually clean, you can talk to them. I'd had a lot to do with them and they were what I wanted.

• 18:55Speaker 06

  Lila and Evelyn need someone who recruits high-end staff for high-end clients. Enter Frances Hutchinson. She's worked for a whole host of VIPs.

• 19:09Speaker 05

  From pop star to footballer to king or queen. They're very wealthy and they're people who can pay for the best. And so you introduce them to the best.

• 19:20Speaker 06

  Perfect, just what our two millionaires require. Lila organizes a meeting, but she and Evelyn aren't quite what Frances is expecting.

• 19:32Speaker 05

  Certainly not the normal kind of client that I've dealt with.

• 19:35Speaker 06

  But that isn't a problem. Frances has been brought up not to judge a book by its cover. And what our couple lack, say in class, they make up for with their enormous bank balance.

• 19:49Speaker 05

  So when these ladies came along, they wanted everything.

• 19:52Speaker 07

  Nice car with a driver.

• 19:54Speaker 05

  Estate manager, the head gardener and junior gardeners, housekeeping staff.

• 19:59Speaker 07

  There was the butler, there was the under butler, there was a tweenie.

• 20:05Speaker 06

  It's a little person or maid.

• 20:06Speaker 07

  No, a tweenie. Oh, tweenie's a little person who works between everybody else. Everyone else cleans and she follows them and just tidies up what they haven't.

• 20:17Speaker 06

  And Evelyn clearly has the cash to pay for it all.

• 20:20Speaker 05

  She would keep a stash of £50 notes down her bra.

• 20:24Speaker 06

  Down her what?

• 20:25Speaker 05

  Her bra. She would put her hand down her shirt and pull out a £50 note. And there was some... Somebody sleeping rough outside Harrods. And she had the driver pull over and she got out of the car and just pulled this £50 note out.

• 20:41Speaker 06

  That's about $150 today. So Evelyn likes to look after people and likes to look after one person above all.

• 20:52Speaker 05

  She really took care of Lila. And she actually said to me one day, everybody's job is to take care of Lila. I want Lila to be happy.

• 21:01Speaker 06

  And that means?

• 21:02Speaker 05

  A lot of beauty appointments and probably quite a lot of hair appointments to keep that colour, I would imagine.

• 21:09Speaker 06

  Frances opens her contacts book, picks up the phone and starts recruiting the butlers, the gardeners and the tweenies. Fifteen staff in total. And she's thrilled to be helping this Aussie couple make England their home. She takes them as she finds them, honest, eccentric, but extremely charming millionaires. But there's rather more to them than that because Evelyn and Lila have a history. Quite a history.

• 21:50Speaker 06

  Back in Australia in the 1970s, well, I'll let Lila tell you.

• 21:56Speaker 07

  Well, I was working. I was a working girl.

• 21:59Speaker 06

  Yes, she was a sex worker. In fact, both Evelyn and Lila were sex workers for many, many years.

• 22:08Speaker 07

  The best clients in the world are tradies and truck drivers. They really are.

• 22:13Speaker 06

  Why?

• 22:14Speaker 07

  Because they're polite, they're courteous, they're kind, they're friendly. They usually come in dirty but go out clean because they wash. And they're talkative.

• 22:25Speaker 06

  And Lila knew all the tricks of the trade.

• 22:29Speaker 07

  So the longer you spend on the massage, the less you spend on the screwing.

• 22:35Speaker 06

  Right.

• 22:36Speaker 07

  And you only gave them three pumps anyway. Guys only last three minutes.

• 22:40Speaker 06

  Lila had one rule that she lived by, swore by.

• 22:46Speaker 07

  You never ever go with anyone with a tie and a collar because they're usually bastards.

• 22:54Speaker 06

  Actually, Evelyn and Lila met through the sex trade in the 1980s. By then, Lila was running a brothel and Evelyn was running a whole chain of brothels, eventually 16 of them. And let's just say Evelyn's approach to abuse was zero tolerance.

• 23:14Speaker 07

  If the man had some trouble, she would arrange for someone to go and, you know, break a leg, which arm, which leg, that sort of thing.

• 23:24Speaker 06

  Now, as we've heard, when Lila first crossed paths with Evelyn, the attraction was instant.

• 23:31Speaker 07

  She was wearing a mallet and it suited her beautifully, really dark hair. And the curls in it were just brilliant. I just couldn't take my eyes off her.

• 23:43Speaker 06

  But Evelyn, on the other hand, took far longer to come round.

• 23:48Speaker 07

  She just didn't have a clue, did not have a clue. I'm thinking, why doesn't you bloody wake up? What is the matter with her?

• 23:58Speaker 06

  But Lila was patient and persistent.

• 24:02Speaker 07

  I just waited and waited and waited until I got my shot. Like a spider, collecting something in its web.

• 24:14Speaker 06

  And when Lila finally snared her prey, it was passionate, intense.

• 24:21Speaker 07

  I was walking through the door and she was walking through the door as well. And she slammed the door shut and grabbed me and kissed me. And she said, and that's when I fell in love with you.

• 24:38Speaker 06

  It's as if Evelyn and Lila were made for each other. They have so much in common. They both had tough childhoods and cash was always tight. Now they've found each other. Evelyn vows that money will never be a problem ever again. That poverty is well and truly behind them. And what lies ahead is a life of luxury and comfort, a life well-lived.

• 25:08Speaker 07

  She promised and promised and promised me the world.

• 25:12Speaker 06

  The only thing is, the path Evelyn and Lila go down in order to live the good life means that they're always just one step away from losing it all. Because none of it is really theirs. As Lila says of Evelyn, quite simply.

• 25:32Speaker 07

  She was terrible. Oh, she was a little thief. She was. She was a little thief, naughty little thief, a bad elf, you know, a really bad elf.

• 25:43Speaker 06

  And Evelyn was a bad elf with a bad habit, a very bad habit.

• 25:49Speaker 07

  I always said that to Evelyn, from the very first day I met her, you talk too much.

• 25:55Speaker 06

  It's Evelyn's Achilles heel. And it makes their already perilous position even more perilous. Our duo know their good life can be snatched away at any moment. And that's exactly what happens in 1996. Lila and Evelyn are living in Melbourne and have all the luxury and comfort they ever wished for. But suddenly, they start to feel the heat on multiple fronts. And they need to escape fast.

• 26:32Speaker 06

  And that's how they end up in the UK.

• 26:38Speaker 06

  Yes, they're on the run.

• 26:47Speaker 00

  911, what's your emergency?

• 26:51Speaker 00

  Please help us. They're everywhere. We think they're murder wantons.

• 26:55Speaker 02

  911 Nashville returns.

• 26:58Speaker 00

  What's the homicide detective doing here?

• 26:59Speaker 03

  Three bodies on the ground.

• 27:01Speaker 02

  With emergencies of biblical proportions.

• 27:03Speaker 03

  Melonson swarms upon you and upon your people.

• 27:06Speaker 02

  That's one of the plagues of the Bible.

• 27:08Speaker 03

  And somebody's unleashing them on Nashville.

• 27:10Speaker 02

  Brian Phillippe joins 911 Nashville, all new Thursdays on ABC, next day on Hulu.

• 27:17Speaker 00

  Whether you're buying, renting or selling, Zillow can help make your someday today. To help find a home that fits where you are in life or that apartment that's a little closer to where you want to be. Zillow has the right information, tools and support to help turn your future home into a reality. Because someday starts today. Visit zillow.com/today to get started.

• 27:42Speaker 02

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• 28:13Speaker 06

  For Lila and Evelyn, it's a blank slate, a new page, a chance to have another shot at the good life. At other people's expense.

• 28:27Speaker 06

  All of this, of course, is lost on the horsey set. They're blissfully unaware. No, to them, Evelyn and Lila are just a slightly eccentric Aussie couple who want to buy a big house, fill it with staff and start a stud farm. In other words, breed horses, for show jumping, as it happens.

• 28:52Speaker 06

  The couple are driven all around rural England for viewings of vast country estates.

• 29:01Speaker 07

  The only one that stood out was one in Newmarket.

• 29:06Speaker 06

  A town a couple of hours away from London and the home of horse racing.

• 29:11Speaker 07

  And it was gorgeous. There was a pool and there was absolutely everything you'd want.

• 29:16Speaker 06

  Now, this wasn't just one property. It was virtually a small village.

• 29:21Speaker 07

  It was very pretty. It had about six or eight other little cottages. And they all had names of flowers, which was lovely.

• 29:30Speaker 06

  So they've chosen the house. Now they need to find horses for their stud. And it's only the very best breed for Evelyn, the revered Arabian horse.

• 29:44Speaker 06

  That's when they hear about Lucille and Larry, who apparently have just what Evelyn and Lila are after. A young Arab filly for sale.

• 29:56Speaker 07

  I thought they were going to be really horsey people.

• 29:58Speaker 06

  But?

• 29:59Speaker 07

  They weren't anything like I expected.

• 30:06Speaker 06

  Lucille Clark Smith and her husband Larry invite the Aussies over.

• 30:12Speaker 07

  Lila coming down with a pair of stiletto heels on and dressed very flamboyantly with all this colour, with loads of makeup on, and she wore these outrageous hats. I mean, they were quite pleasant. I mean, Lila was a real lady.

• 30:27Speaker 01

  But the other one looked like the stable lad.

• 30:33Speaker 06

  Lucille and Larry show them their filly, and Evelyn falls in love. The horse is magnificent and perfect for her new stud. A deal is done. Fifteen thousand pounds, that's about forty-five thousand US dollars today. Now, no money actually changes hands on the day. The funds are on their way, though, Evelyn says. Now, Lucille and Larry are completely charmed by Evelyn and Lila, but things don't quite add up. These Aussie millionaires who've just blown in to set up a stud farm...

• 31:13Speaker 07

  Knew nothing about horses, that was quite clear. They knew nothing about horses.

• 31:20Speaker 06

  So, if Lila and Evelyn are going to make a go of their stud farm, they'd better find someone who knows about horses and show jumping fast. Well, remember Richard and Marjorie, who were intrigued by the way Evelyn said the word millions?

• 31:40Speaker 05

  Millions. She didn't pronounce the L's.

• 31:43Speaker 06

  Well, they know a lot about show jumping. In fact, they're two of the most respected people in the show jumping world, and they're very good friends with Frances Hutchinson, who's busy finding staff for Lila and Evelyn's massive new house.

• 32:04Speaker 06

  Before long, Richard and Marjorie are invited to a business meeting at a very smart hotel in London.

• 32:12Speaker 05

  There was this not very tall, but very wide lady in a grey pinstripe suit with slightly curly grey hair.

• 32:24Speaker 06

  Lila's memory of Richard, on the other hand, is a little more hazy.

• 32:28Speaker 07

  I don't remember him. Wouldn't remember him from a toothpick. Haven't got a clue.

• 32:35Speaker 06

  Coffee and biscuits are served, and Evelyn gets straight down to business.

• 32:41Speaker 05

  She said, "I want to buy this huge property and start up a show jumping stud, and I really want to go into this big time."

• 32:53Speaker 06

  Richard is impressed. Evelyn then offers Marjorie the job of a lifetime: stud manager on Evelyn's new estate.

• 33:03Speaker 05

  It's very wonderful to be offered something that you would really, really like to do and could never afford to do it on your own. She was offering me exactly what I would like.

• 33:17Speaker 06

  In fact, this is Marjorie's dream job. Evelyn doesn't stop there. She tells Richard...

• 33:25Speaker 05

  If Marjorie's going to be the stud manager, we need her on the premises.

• 33:30Speaker 06

  Richard frowns, but Evelyn nods and throws him one of her charming smiles. It's okay because...

• 33:38Speaker 05

  There are cottages on the estate. You will have a lovely house, da di da, of your own.

• 33:46Speaker 06

  Richard and Marjorie are impressed by Evelyn and Lila's generosity. And their generosity doesn't end there. Evelyn starts to tell them about her lucrative investments.

• 34:00Speaker 07

  She would talk about bonds and banking and overnight money markets.

• 34:06Speaker 06

  To be honest, Lila says she's a bit bamboozled by it all. Evelyn looks after all this stuff, apparently. But basically, it involves complicated financial instruments called prime bank guarantees and bonds. It's all managed by her American investment company, and judging by their lifestyle, it's been hugely successful. And Evelyn has a bright idea. If Richard and Marjorie are coming to live in one of her cottages, well, they won't need their own house anymore, will they?

• 34:45Speaker 05

  Now, the thing you need to do is to sell your house. And obviously, if you sell your house, that money, if you give it to me, I will turn it into mega money.

• 35:00Speaker 06

  Mega money. So things are really coming together. Their gorgeous house with those lovely little cottages, the household staff, a manager for their stud farm, and their first beautiful Arab horse. Evelyn and Lila have truly joined the horsey set.

• 35:24Speaker 06

  Except, well, you may have worked this out by now, but all of it, and I mean all of it, is an illusion. Evelyn and Lila will never buy their English stately home. There won't be a stud farm. There won't be lovely little cottages for the staff. And there won't be any dream jobs. And those prime bank guarantees, the ones Evelyn is persuading Richard and Marjorie to pour their life savings into, the proceeds of their house sale,

• 36:03Speaker 06

  those prime bank guarantees aren't worth the paper they're printed on. But the real question is this: why on earth does everyone take these two Aussies, totally out of place in the Shires of England, so very seriously, and continue to take them seriously? Well, Lila thinks it's very simple.

• 36:33Speaker 07

  Evelyn needs to work on greed.

• 36:35Speaker 06

  She understood human nature. But this is just the beginning. In her bid to give Lila the life she's always dreamed of, Evelyn is aiming high, very high. She's wormed her way into the horsey set. Now she's got her sights set on the royal set.

• 37:14Speaker 06

  You've been listening to Royal Swindle, a Blanchard House production for USG Audio in partnership with Exactly Right Media, hosted by me, Becky Milligan. It's written and produced by me, Becky Milligan, and Seren Jones. Original music is by Daniel Lloyd Evans, Louis Nankmanel, and Toby Matimon. Sound design and mix engineering is by Vulcan Kizeltug, Toby Matimon, and Daniel Lloyd Evans. Story development by Duncan Barber. The managing producer is Amika Shortino-Nolan. Production support from Josh La Longe at USG Audio. The creative director at Blanchard House is Rosie Pie. The executive producer

• 37:59Speaker 06

  and head of content at Blanchard House is Lawrence Griselle. Our executive producer from USG Audio is Josh Block.

• 38:15Speaker 00

  Calling all amateur detectives and podcast obsessives.

• 38:18Speaker 05

  Virgin Voyages' second True Crime Voyage sets sail March 20, 2027, for a five-night escape to Grand Turk and the Beach Club at Bimini.

• 38:27Speaker 00

  As part of the On Air at Sea collection, this immersive sailing brings together fan favorite podcasts, including Disgrace Land, Buried Bones, and Wisecrack, for live recordings, behind-the-scenes access, exclusive meet and greets, and crime-themed programming that you won't find anywhere else.

• 38:43Speaker 05

  All aboard our award-winning, kid-free ships.

• 38:46Speaker 00

  Head over to virginvoyages.com/truecrime to secure your spot. Goodbye. Okay, laundry stinks, literally. I mean, you could just keep buying new underwear. Not that I've ever done that. Or maybe sort your clothes into piles based on how re-wearable or filthy they are. Or just use Arm & Hammer Deep Clean. It's made for real life stinks and stains. So even if you don't do laundry the quote "right way," Deep Clean will knock it out. I mean, it is from the number one liquid detergent brand that tackles more loads than any other. Come clean with Arm & Hammer Deep Clean. Number one claim based on total wash loads sold.

• 39:27Speaker 05

  I'm Lacey Mosley, author, actor, stand-up comedian, creator, and host of Scam Goddess Podcast, the true crime comedy podcast all about robbery, fraud, and those who practice it. Each week I bring on an amazing guest.

• 39:39Speaker 01

  Ooh, I scam them.

• 39:40Speaker 05

  What?

• 39:41Speaker 01

  I could talk to you for an hour.

• 39:42Speaker 05

  You're a generational yapper, like me. That's why I had to make yapping a job. And now you can catch full episodes of my show on YouTube. Start listening to Scam Goddess on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.