Abdication A Novel - By Juliet Nicolson Page 0,101
Wallis in the works, titled From Baltimore to Balmoral.
For the whole of the next day Wallis refused to see anyone. She remained in her room, ordering room service to bring her plates of cold trout and salad and ears of American corn that were then left half-eaten on trays outside her bedroom door for every passer-by to see until the waiter came to remove them. The following morning Evangeline knocked on Wallis’s door and, not hearing an answer, turned the handle. Wallis was still in bed, her usually immaculate centre parting marking an untidy line across her scalp. She was wearing a pale, peach-coloured bed jacket made of a silky material and edged in swans’ down. The washed-out colour emphasised the sallowness of her complexion. Wallis had long suffered from terrible skin problems and Evangeline knew that the celebrated smoothness of her face was courtesy of Mrs. Gladys Furlonger, a queen in her own right, not of a kingdom but of the art of facial massage. In Mrs. Furlonger’s hands lay the secret to eternal youth, until the effect of her pricey ministrations wore off. Denied Mrs. Furlonger’s healing magic and exposed to undue amounts of Mediterranean sun despite the baby bonnet, Wallis looked worn out, unattractive and beaten. For a moment Evangeline felt a combined surge of pity and affection.
“Vangey, come and sit here,” Wallis said softly, patting a coverlet almost invisible beneath the mass of newspaper clippings scattered across it. “Thank the Lord you are here. You are my oldest and dearest friend, especially now that rat Mary has betrayed me.”
Evangeline folded her arms across her chest, determined not to allow her hands to be caught in that claustrophobic knuckly grip. Wallis had begun to sniff and soon tears were running with abandon down her cheeks, making little rivulets through a thick coating of Elizabeth Arden foundation.
“What is it, Wallis darling?” Sensing an imminent confession, Evangeline’s lovely voice was full of compassion.
“I just can’t do it, Evangeline. Do you hear me? I cannot and I will not.”
There was a pause followed by an extended indrawn sigh. Evangeline waited.
“The date for my divorce hearing has already been fixed for late next month. Ernest has agreed to some sort of arrangement suggested by the king and both men assure me all is amicable between them. Ernest is too sweet to make any fuss, though I confess I sometimes wish he would. But Vangey, I don’t think I can go through with it. Ernest and I belong together. Mary means nothing to him, I know that much. And I also know some people consider Ernest a bit dull, but for me he is a safe pair of hands. We get along together just fine.” Wallis went on, her voice emphasising the inflexibility of her resolve. “That’s it. Ernest gives me security. That is definitely what he gives me. So I must escape from David as soon as possible. I never ever meant it to go as far as this. Never.”
“Surely you cannot mean this?” Evangeline interrupted, her own voice now trembling a little but Wallis waved her silent, struggling to steady herself as she continued with her extended confession.
“He keeps quoting the Bible at me, Vangey. He says there is a time to weep, a time to smile, a time to rend, a time to sew … and …”
And breaking off for a surprisingly fierce laugh, Wallis continued.
“And he does not mean those damn tapestries that he is always stitching away at. Anyway, he says there is a time for everything and that now is his time to marry. God help me, Vangey, but what kind of a mess have I gotten myself into here? I feel I am going to go mad! In fact, I think I am getting ill again. Not just this damned cold but all those stomach troubles that I had earlier in the year have returned.”
Wallis fell back against the pillows as if defeated by life. Both women were shocked into silence by the implications of what Wallis was saying.
“Pass me my sable wrap from over there, Vangey, will you, there’s a dear.” Wallis instructed eventually, indicating a chair with a feeble wave of the hand.
The knuckly fingers were naked of their usual cluster of rings but as Wallis pulled the fur around her bony shoulders she seemed to gather a new strength.
“I want to add one more thing, Evangeline, in case you are in any doubt about my intentions. I want you to know that