‘Naw, I can’t wait, lass. Nowt else can happen to me. Dr Lange said it isn’t a criminal offence, just a gross misdemeanour against me employers. And he said, if need be, he would testify for me that he knew you to be sane, which is going to be me motive; and he will expose that Dr Jenkins an’ all. With me being free from here, I’ll be able to give evidence to any tribunal about Jenkins’s lack of care. You never knaw, it might even come out about Michael taking money, as there’s plenty of evidence of him having more money than he can earn here.’

‘I want to hug you, but know I can’t.’ As she looked at Iris, Mags saw love in her eyes and remembered her saying that she’d always wanted a daughter. ‘You’ve been like a mother to me, Iris.’

Tears glistened in Iris’s eyes. ‘Eeh, give over, lass. Meeting you has changed me life. I can’t get me head around never having to work again – well, not never, because at last I’ll be able to make a good home for me menfolk; and, aye, make meself look better for them an’ all, as I intend getting me teeth seen to, and me hairy chin. I’ve heard as it’s to do with hormones or sommat. You hear a lot, when you work around doctors. I knaw as they can’t do owt about that, but I’ll look into other ways of ridding meself of the chin hairs. You never see a rich lady with them, and some of them must suffer with this hormone-thingy. Eeh, maybe if I looked better, me old man might get interested in me again – not that he’s a pretty picture himself, but I love him.’

‘I think that’s an excellent idea, Iris. And you will have my address, so if ever you need anything, you only have to write. And about what you were saying before: if it does come to you having to defend yourself, then I will leave a message with Dr Lange to tell him that I will come back and be examined by the best psychiatrist in the land, to prove that you were right and I shouldn’t have been here. You’ll end up a hero, not a criminal, you’ll see.’

‘Eeh, I almost want it to happen. Now let’s get back inside.’

As they walked back towards the building, Mags told of her worry over Aggie.

‘Leave her to me, I’ll sort Aggie. I’ll befriend her, so that if she does come and find me, she’s happy and doesn’t make a scene. It’s sad, when you think about it. The poor souls are lonely. No one really understands the torment in their minds.’

They fell silent. During this silence, Montel popped into Mags’s mind. Annoyed by this, she tried to dispel the thoughts she was having, but couldn’t. Her mind seemed to want to dwell on him, for some unknown reason. ‘Iris, I’ll think about that other matter Susan proposed. I’ll let you know.’