‘I thought I’d go the same way as her, as Ann. But that was not good. For as bad as the longing was upon me to see her, I’d go to the fires of hell with her, because that’s what he said would happen, a devil like me. I wanted to die. But sure we’d never have met again. I knew I needed to repent before I could meet God, and of course, who knew if poor Ann had gone to God at all?’

Her back was soaked in sweat. I offered her a drink.

Margaret Rose woke and began touching her bruised eye socket and poppy temple.

‘Eventually, I must have passed out,’ she said, sobbing.

‘Jesus, Jane.’

‘I came around in the dispensary. You see, frightened with what he did, he had taken me to a doctor. I was so glad and I thought it was for some stitches in my head. But they paid no heed to my head, as Tom blurted out the whole tale, the doctor gave me an injection into my arm as he held me again, tight, and told Tom to bring me in every day for a week. We were only staying at the guest house for a night, but Tom booked me in for the entire week, brought me every morning, then back to the guest house, put me to bed. I slept for most of that week. I don’t remember much. It made me sleep all the time. And after the week of injections he gave me tablets to take home, back to the house I’d live at, a big country house, with his mother, until she died. I said I wasn’t taking them, but Tom said he’d crush them down my throat if I didn’t and the doctor agreed, and he’d help Tom if needs be. Tom said it was OK, he’d make sure his mother gave them to me, if the need arose.’

‘Oh, Jane,’ I said.

‘They were friends, you see, himself and the doctor, and he knew the guest house owners, they were all the one parish, and sure I hadn’t a friend left, they were friends from primary school, and I never went to the doctor ever again without Tom by my side. Everyone in the parish knew. I wasn’t allowed to visit a doctor alone, they said. It was about trust. And I took the tablets. For ever. For here,’ she said, pointing her ring finger at her head, ‘but I’ve been his wife, you know, in that way a woman can be a wife, and I’ve taken them every day since, but now sometimes I forget. Sometimes I’m always forgetting, you know. Did I tell you that they told me if I didn’t take the tablets I couldn’t be around my children? I’ve nine, you know. That it would allow me to be … allow the children to be near me.’

‘Ah, Jane. Jane … sorry.’

Margaret Rose was awake now, with the flannel on her forehead and a huge bruise around her eye.