# ■ 5 Wallis

This is how Lady Furness described Mrs Simpson's early life to Edward：

Wallis was born in Baltimore．She never knew her father．He died when she was five months old． But her mother was a strong and loving woman， and Wallis was a happy child．

When she was twenty，she married a man called Win－field Spencer．For the first few years they were happy togeth－er． But one day Winfield lost some money in the street．He was very angry． When he came home， he took a bottle of whisky from a cupbodrd and began to drink．

That night he hit Wallis in the mouth． She screamed and he hit her again．There was blood on her face and she was shaking like a leaf．' Please， Winfield，'she said．'No more．

But Winfield took her arm and pulled her up the stairs．'You're my prisoner，'he shouted at her，'and you're not going to leave．'Then he pushed her into the bathroom and locked the door．

The next morning Wallis went back to her family．'I can't stay with him，'she said．'I want a divorce．'

Poor Wallis，'Edward said．'But what happened next，Lady Furness？'

Well，'said Lady Furness，'a few months later she met a fine man called Ernest Simpson． He's quiet， but interesting．They got married and they now live in a beautiful flat in the centre of London．'

And are they happy？'asked Edward．

Lady Furness looked at the Prince and smiled．'I don't know，Sir，'she said．'I don' t know．'

During the next two years the Prince saw Wallis once or twice a week．They had the same friends， and they often met at parties．

Mrs Simpson knew a lot about life，'Edward once said．'She loved books， food， people， and travel． She was very beautiful and her eyes were full of fire． She was friendly and easy to talk to and，after a while，I opened up my heart． We had no secrets．I told her everything．And that's how it all began．'

His eyes were always sad，'Wallis said about Edward．'And sometimes he looked like a child— so young， so quiet， so weak． He had no real friends． Perhaps people were a little afraid of him． But he was a warm and kind man． When he talked to me， I felt my heart jump．I wanted to be alone with him， but I knew that wasn't possible．Did the Prince love me in those early days？ No，I don't think so．But each time we met，we just felt closer and closer．'

In June 1933 Edward gave a birthday party for Wallis，and during the next few months he visited the Simpson's flat in London almost every day．

One evening， the Prince asked Wallis and Ernest to go skiing in Austria．'I'm sorry， Sir，'Mr Simpson replied．'I have to go to America on business．But perhaps Wallis and her aunt can come with you．'

We went to Kitzbühl as friends，'Wallis wrote later，'but when we came home， we were in love． And a few months later the Prince asked me to marry him． It was just like a dream！'

■ 5 沃利斯

下面就是弗內斯勳爵夫人給愛德華講述的辛普森夫人早年的生活：

沃利斯出生在巴爾的摩。她從不認識自己的父親。她才5個月大，父親就去世了。她母親是個堅強而充滿愛心的女人，沃利斯童年很幸福。

她 20歲時與一位名叫溫菲爾德·斯潘塞的人結了婚。在婚後的最初幾年裡，他們在一起很幸福。可有一天，溫菲爾德在街上丟了錢。他很惱怒。回到家，他從櫃子裡拿出一瓶威士忌，喝了起來。

那天晚上，他扇了沃利斯一記耳光。她尖叫起來，他又打她。她臉上都是血，身體像一片葉子一樣顫抖著。“求求你，溫菲爾德，”她說，“別打了。”

但溫菲爾德拽起她的一隻胳膊，一直把她拖到樓上。“你是我的囚犯，”他對她吼道，“你別想走。”然後他把她推進浴室，鎖上了門。

第二天早晨，沃利斯回到孃家。“我不能和他在一起生活了，”她說，“我要離婚。”

“可憐的沃利斯，”愛德華說，“可是後來呢，弗內斯勳爵夫人？”

“後來，”弗內斯勳爵夫人說，“幾個月後她認識了一位叫歐內斯特·辛普森的好人。他很少說話，但很風趣。他們結了婚，現在住在倫敦市中心一套漂亮的公寓裡。”

“那他們在一起快樂嗎？”愛德華問。

弗內斯勳爵夫人看著王子笑了。“我不知道，殿下，”她說，“我不知道。”

在後來的兩年裡，王子每星期都能見到沃利斯一兩次。他們有共同的朋友，所以經常能在聚會上碰面。

“辛普森夫人生活閱歷豐富，”愛德華有一次說，“她愛看書，喜歡食物，關愛他人，也喜歡旅行。她非常漂亮，眼裡總是充滿熱情。她待人友善，同她談話很輕鬆，沒多久我就敞開了心扉。我們之間沒有祕密。我對她無所不談。一切就是這樣開始的。”

“他的眼神總是那麼憂傷，”沃利斯這樣描述愛德華，“有時他看起來像個孩子——那麼年輕，那麼溫文爾雅，那麼脆弱。他沒有真正的朋友。也許人們有點兒怕他。但他是一個熱心而善良的人。當他對我說話時，我能感覺到自己的心在跳。我想和他單獨在一起，但我知道那是不可能的。王子在與我初識的那些日子裡愛我嗎？不，我想他不愛。但每次我們相見，都感到彼此更接近了。”

1933年6月，愛德華為沃利斯舉辦了一個生日聚會，在那以後的幾個月中，他幾乎天天都去辛普森夫婦在倫敦的公寓拜訪。

一天晚上，王子邀請沃利斯和歐內斯特一起去奧地利滑雪。“對不起，殿下，”辛普森先生回答，“我得去美國出差。不過，也許沃利斯和她姨媽能和您一同去。”

“我們去基特普爾時是朋友，”沃利斯後來寫道，“但返回時已經相愛了。幾個月后王子便向我求婚，這真像是一場夢！”