‘Around four years ago, just before I retired,’ she said. ‘Anyway, it was clear that what brought them to A & E was just an accident, no hint of abuse, but it was manic that day and there were hold-ups with the attending doctors, so I spent quite a bit of time with the mother. She told me her name was Susie and she was terrified of her husband.’ She paused. ‘To cut a long story short, I had her to stay with me for a couple of nights, rather than return to her abusive spouse.’ Sylvia sighed. ‘She went back to him, as victims of abuse so often do, but three days later she was back, with terrible facial bruises and a badly cut lip. This time I urged her to take her child and run, and then go to the authorities and report him. Which she did.’ Sylvia fell silent.

‘Go on, Sylvia,’ Annie urged gently.

‘I heard from her a month later. Things hadn’t gone well. She’d finished up moving from refuge to refuge, afraid he would catch up with her, but she never went to the authorities. I urged her to let me help her, put her in touch with people who would protect her and the boy, but I never heard from her again.’ She gave them a wan smile. ‘Not a very happy ending.’

‘Sadly, I can’t confess to being so caring and helpful,’ said Fleur Harper miserably. ‘In fact, I’m bitterly ashamed of myself. But as we’re baring our souls — or in my case washing our dirty linen in public — here goes.’ She cleared her throat. ‘I was aware that a woman I knew was being threatened with domestic violence, but I kept quiet and did nothing to help.’ She closed her eyes for a moment. ‘In my own defence, I was in a very bad place mentally and physically at the time. My own marriage was breaking up, and I’ve never been strong emotionally. I was a wreck, not coping at all, and I was starting to realise that this would probably cause me to lose my precious son, Jason. Sounds weak and pathetic, I know, but I just didn’t have room in my head for someone else’s problems.’

Sylvia smiled understandingly at her. ‘I think we can all understand that, Fleur. It’s a survival mechanism, not weakness.’

‘I absolutely agree,’ said Natalie. ‘Maybe it’s time for you to let that guilt go, Fleur. You clearly needed all of your energy to come through it.’

Annie said that sharing her experience might allow Fleur to forget. ‘Do you recall the family’s name? Or where they lived?’