‘Doctor Plumfield then. I think you’ve got an awful cheek! This is my granddaughter that you’re talking about. Now I don’t like your attitude, young man. Just tell us when she’s going, what’s going to happen to her, and how long we can expect her to be there.’

Doctor Plumfield shook his head as if he was dealing with two recalcitrant children. Kate put her hand on her mother’s arm.

‘Your daughter will be there as long as it takes to help her, Mrs Burrows. She is rebelling against something. What, we’re not sure of yet.’ He looked at Kate as he said this and the message was quite clear to her. ‘This destructive behaviour needs to be looked at. If you wish to see her you may do so, but I must stress that you should try not to upset her in any way.’

Kate stood up.

‘Thank you very much, Doctor Plumfield. Before we go - will you be treating her at Warley?’

‘No, I won’t.’

Kate smiled then.

‘Well, at least we have that to be thankful for. Come on, Mum, let’s go and see Lizzy.’

They left Doctor Plumfield sitting shaking his head. As they walked through the hospital to Lizzy’s ward, Evelyn kept up a stream of abuse.

‘The cheek of that one! To try and insinuate that we had done something wrong. I’d have liked to have cut the face off of him with a few choice words. And what’s Lizzy been saying to him, I’d like to know?’

As always when she was very angry, Evelyn’s voice was a thick Irish brogue.

Kate let it all go in one ear and out the other.

They finally arrived at Lizzy’s ward. She was sitting up in bed listening to the radio on the headphones. Her face was washed and her hair brushed. In the hospital gown she seemed very young. She looked at her mother and grandmother and smiled tremulously. Pulling the headphones from her ears she put out her arms, and Kate hugged her.

‘Oh, Mum . . . Gran . . . I’m so glad you’re here!’

Evelyn pushed Kate gently out of the way and hugged her granddaughter. Lizzy began to cry.

‘Now, now, whist now. Everything’s going to be all right.’

Kate sat on the bed and watched them.

‘They want me to go to a mental hospital, Mum.’

‘How do you feel about that?’

Lizzy shook her head. ‘I don’t know. They seem to think that I’m a bit touched . . .’

Evelyn broke in, ‘Now don’t call it that. All you need is a bit of a rest, time to sort out your thoughts.’

‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me, though!’

Lizzy was on the verge of hysteria. Kate grasped her daughter’s hand.

‘Well, they’ll find that out in Warley. A sui—. . . what you did, is a very frightening thing, Liz. You must try and find out why you did it.’