Briony drew herself up to her full height, five foot, and said coldly: ‘Let’s get something straight here, shall we? I am not your darling. In fact, the thought of it makes me feel physically sick. You may be big and you may be ugly, but it’ll take more than that to put the frighteners on me.’

Marilyn looked down at the tiny old woman - and she was old, there was no mistaking that - and felt a great rage.

‘No one talks to me like that!’

Briony, her old self back to the fore now the shock had worn off, said scathingly. ‘Up yours, darlin’. I’ve dealt with bullies all my life, one more won’t make much difference. Now then.’ She looked at the assembled screws. ‘Let’s get this over with, shall we? Where do I shower?’

A younger officer called Tracy took her arm.

‘I’ll take you through to the showers just as soon as we’ve signed you in.’

Marilyn catalogued Briony’s possessions in silence, the diamond rings and necklace patently annoying her. As Briony walked away with Tracy in tow she said to the other girl: ‘That one needs knocking down a peg.’

‘And you’re the woman to do it, I suppose?’

Marilyn stared at the girl and nodded, a twisted smile on her face.

Briony had showered, been disinfected, and was now dressed in a skirt and blouse, her wet hair plastered to her head. Devoid of make-up she still looked good, which surprised Tracy. As she was walked across the landing to A wing, Briony took in everything around her. She was put in a cell on the top landing, and as the door opened a stench of stale cigarette smoke and urine hit her full in the face. She hesitated a few seconds at the door. Tracy, feeling the woman’s discomfort, pushed her gently over the threshold.

‘In you go, love. We eat tea at five-thirty, you’ll be out for that.’

Briony stood in the cell as the door banged behind her and, taking a deep breath, stared at the two faces before her.

A tall black girl, no more than nineteen, stood up and held out her hand.

‘Hello, love. My name’s Letitia and this here is Marla.’ Marla was small, plump and blonde, in her forties.

‘Sit down, we’ve been expecting you. Would you like a roll?’

Letitia’s face was open and friendly. Briony nodded and sitting on the bottom bunk, accepted a thin rolled cigarette.

‘Tracy will bring you round a cuppa in a minute. Everything’s been taken care of, Belinda has seen to that. You’ll see her at teatime. It’s only a sandwich but force it down, you won’t get nothing else ’til the morning.’

Briony allowed Maria to light her cigarette and tried desperately to relax.