O, a little later...
The address on the card in my hand turned out to be an apartment on the 3rd floor of a slightly tatty 19th century building. Ile de la Cite was still a fine Parisian address and spoke of old money. The staircase was once of fine quality, with flakes missing from the paint on the walls, while the iron balustrade was in need of a clean.
The woman who answered the door was elegant and calm, but would not have made you look twice if you saw her in the street. Her clothes were of fine quality and she moved easily in them, yet nothing was overtly sexual in her way of dressing. Her blouse was buttoned to an ordinary level, her skirt was of knee length, not tight and her shoes were flat heeled. Her calves were fine, slim and firm, which I could see as I followed her to the salon. A woman used to fine things, yet not arrogant or pretentious in her manner.
The apartment was much finer in its furnishings and maintenance than the stairway to her door.
We sat at an ormolu table, in chairs that were more elegant than comfortable, no doubt antiques of great worth. I shifted until I found a reasonable position. I asked to record our talk, she said 'As you wish'. Her voice was low and slightly husky, in excellent but accented English, with a light Scots lilt to be heard in occasional words. The Nagra recorder was the state of the art for 1978, yet the tape reels could be awkward to fit exactly, to get it wrong meant poor sound.
'Firstly I want to know how your life has progressed since the time that Anne's book was set. That would have been around 1954, I believe?' I tried to sound professional, despite being in the presence of the woman who had filled my nights for years.
'Oui, my first time at Roissy was at the end of January that year. It was the start of my real life. The events in her book are very accurate as to time, though she invented some things that never happened and concealed other things that did occur.' My interest rose at her words, they promised honesty and new insight into a famous true story. She spoke quietly and clearly, her eyes focused on the fire across the room. 'Ask what you will, my life is open to any who would know me'.
'Talk me through the main events of the years since the books, what happened with the men in the books?' I had prepared many questions, yet I wanted to start her talking and see where she took me. It was not hard, as she was ready to speak freely.
'Sir Stephen retained me close to him through the following winter, though I felt his conquest of me had become so complete that he found no challenge in it.' Her voice was low and calm yet had force and clarity.