Catrin hadn’t been expecting this: she’d clearly been misled by Edwina, who had said Patricia was ‘besotted’ with him. Her confusion was soon clarified, however, when, as she was leaving, the man himself arrived.

‘He was just really … insipid, Jude,’ she said when she phoned her friend that night. ‘Like a bit sort of spooky, with matted-down greasy hair, fishy whiskers and damp hands.’

‘Eeuw,’ said Judith. ‘And what was he like with my mother?’

‘Well, he clearly adores her,’ she said, confused. ‘He kept telling me what an absolute dreamboat she is!’

Judith laughed. ‘I can think of a lot of words to describe Patricia, but “dreamboat” isn’t one of them.’

They both decided that although Adrian may be deluded and a little strange, he was ultimately harmless. He took Patricia to bingo, and the theatre, and for ice-cream down in Porthcawl, and if he kept her happy then why rock the dreamboat.

‘Mrs Harris for you, Doctor,’ came the voice of Catrin’s receptionist through the intercom.

‘Lovely, send her in,’ replied Catrin, bracing herself for a ten-minute blast of Patricia-ness.

A few moments later, Adrian Oliver pushed open the door, carefully keeping it ajar with his foot whilst manoeuvring Patricia inside the consultation room in her wheelchair. She was done up to the nines, wearing a lot of make-up and preening like a peacock.

‘Hello, my dear,’ she said, as if she was the Queen bestowing a royal visit. ‘You’ve met my Adrian, of course?’

‘Yes,’ said Catrin. ‘How are you both?’

‘Oh, don’t you be worrying about me, Doc. I’m here for Patsy, aren’t I, babe?’

‘That’s right,’ said Patricia. ‘Now then, darlin’, I need you to do me one of them medical thingies.’

Catrin smiled. ‘Ooh, what’s this for then, holiday insurance?’

Patricia looked at Adrian and smiled coyly. ‘No, it’s to say I’m right in the head an’ all that.’

‘I don’t understand,’ replied Catrin.

‘I’m giving Adie the PA.’

‘POA, she means,’ corrected Adrian quietly.

‘Power of attorney?’ asked Catrin, attempting to keep her voice steady. ‘You’re giving … Adrian … power of attorney over your affairs?’

‘Yes, that’s right,’ said Patricia, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ‘And don’t you go telling that useless daughter of mine.’

‘Well, she can’t, can you, Doctor?’ said Adrian, fixing his triumphant gaze on Catrin. ‘’Cos that’d be breaking patient–doctor confidentiality.’

And Dr Blythe felt an icy shiver down the back of her neck.

45

Judith

‘She’s fired me,’ Edwina said on the other end of the phone, fighting back the tears. ‘Well, actually that’s not strictly true. Adrian was the one who did the dirty deed.’

It was the night before the anniversary party. Gareth was laid up with a heavy cold, so Jack and Dom had come over to cook dinner, offering to do the driving down to Wales the next morning.

Over the preceding few months, Edwina had been calling Judith a lot, raising concerns about Patricia. Judith would have preferred to keep her head in the sand, hoping it would all go away. But at the end of the day, Patricia was still her mother and she couldn’t ignore the fact.