‘I’m Betsy. I knaw as it don’t seem likely, but me and Mags have been mates since we were thirteen. Mags never had anyone else; well, only horsey types, but most living a good way from her, and she only sees them now and again.’

‘Aye, she’s spoken about you. She told me everything, and I’m sorry for what happened to you. She’s worries over how you are.’

‘Tell her I’m doing all right, and that I’m doing all I can for her.’

‘Well, let’s hope she will soon be able to do that for herself, Betsy, though we do have a number of problems to surmount. For one, I am no longer Margaret’s doctor, as I have told you. Now it may seem to you that I have influence, but when it comes to interfering in the care of another doctor’s patient, then I have no power whatsoever. That is, unless I am engaged by the patient, or by the person who has power of attorney over the patient. In this case, Margaret is considered incapable of making such decisions, and her husband, who is the only one who can make them for her, has already discharged me and isn’t likely to re-engage me. And I now know the reason why.’

‘Eeh, Doctor, is there nowt you can do?’

‘There is one thing, Betsy. Whether it will help or not, I don’t know. But I will contact Dr Jenkins, the psychiatrist who sectioned Mags. I assume he is still in charge of her case, Iris?’

‘Aye, his name’s on her notes, but he never visits. Reports are sent to him, and they ain’t allus correct. Some of them nurses up there are . . . well, I mean some can be vindictive and send in reports to suit themselves. There’s one in particular – he’s on nights, and he seems to have it in for Mrs Roford. Anyroad, from these reports Dr Jenkins communicates to us what treatment we should give. For Mrs Roford, it’s drugs to keep her calm, but I don’t allus give them to her, as they make me patients like zombies; and she don’t need them. There’s nowt wrong with her mind, and if that lazy Dr Jenkins came to see her— Eeh, I didn’t say that, Doctor. Please, I can’t lose me job. I can’t.’

‘Don’t distress yourself, Iris. Nothing we say in here will be repeated. I have known Margaret, and been her physician, since she was a child. I . . . well, I’m very fond of her, and I’m appalled it has come to this. But as I say, my only recourse is to speak to Dr Jenkins. However, if he is not visiting and is only prescribing on the basis of reports from the staff, then I’m not sure how far I’ll get.’

They were silent for a moment and Betsy imagined that, like her, the other two were pondering their own worrying thoughts.

The doctor broke the silence. ‘There is another consideration. Where will Margaret go, if we do manage to get her released? She can’t go back to her home. That would be disastrous, if everything we believe about that husband of hers is true.’