As the time ticked away at Hatter’s Hall, Ruby was becoming more and more distressed. Miranda had been gone for an awfully long time now and she couldn’t understand why no one had yet realised their mistake in locking her in the wrong room, so once again, after pacing restlessly up and down the small space, she began to bang and hammer on the door.

‘Let me out – let me out!’ Her distress seemed to transmit itself to the people in the neighbouring rooms and when they began to add their cries to hers it became almost deafening. At last Ruby heard a sharp voice shouting in the corridor, ‘Be quiet immediately else you all know what to expect!’ The noise died away like magic as the face of Nurse Keen appeared at the window in the door.

‘Oh, thank goodness, I thought you’d never come!’ Ruby was almost sobbing with relief. ‘There’s been a terrible mistake. Can you please let me out and take me to my mother?’

‘Yes o’ course I will, dearie.’ She heard the sound of the key turning in the lock and when the door opened, she was confronted with Nurse Keen and another nurse who, if it was possible, was even larger than her. They both looked like wrestlers and as she stared into their cold eyes a shiver ran down Ruby’s spine.

‘Come along quietly now,’ Nurse Keen advised and, glad to be out of the confined space, Ruby obediently followed her as the other nurse fell into step closely behind. At the end of the corridor they ushered her into a room where a large tin bath stood full of water and she stopped abruptly.

‘But I-I don’t understand. Why have you brought me here and where is my mother?’ she said in confusion.

Nurse Keen grinned as she advanced on her menacingly. ‘Let’s have no trouble, eh? Just get yourself undressed.’

‘What!’ Ruby was outraged. ‘Why ever would I do that?’

The woman’s face changed as she glared at her threateningly. ‘You’ll do it ’cause if you don’t we’ll ’ave to undress you.’ Then turning to her colleague, she said, ‘I thought we might get this. The young woman that brought her in said she could sound quite rational when she wanted to.’

Ruby’s mouth gaped open in shock. ‘B-but I’m here to see my mother . . . you know I am!’

‘Course you are.’ Reaching out, Nurse Keen grabbed her arm and before she could retaliate the second nurse grabbed the other one and they started to drag her towards the bath.

‘Leave me alone!’ Ruby squealed as terror ran through her veins like iced water, but the two women set about her and within minutes, she was stripped to her bare skin and sobbing.