by Linda Sole
‘In that case I would be willing to reverse my opinion, Mrs Vane. I would be quite willing to sign a release form for her – providing that she consents to live under your care until she is completely recovered.’
Emily smiled because she had been expecting a tussle of wills. Dr Renton was a surprise. She had expected an older man, someone more opinionated and autocratic. She rather liked this man’s manner, which was open and honest. He hadn’t tried to make excuses or bluster his way out of something potentially embarrassing.
‘Thank you. I should be grateful for your help – but first I need to find out where they have taken my sister.’
‘I am afraid I cannot tell you that,’ Dr Renton said. ‘Apparently, Marsham runs his own private clinic. It shouldn’t be too difficult to discover where it is situated.’
‘My father-in-law will help there,’ Emily told him. ‘Now that I have the name of the doctor who took her it makes things easier. So if you would be kind enough to give me that release form? Do you need two signatures?’
‘It should be enough that I have rescinded my consent,’ he said. ‘But if you need help getting her out I would be happy to accompany you, Mrs Vane. And, if Marsham tries to keep her, I could arrange for a colleague to examine her.’
‘I think that Dr Marsham will believe himself fortunate to escape a prison sentence when Lord Vane has finished with him,’ Emily said. ‘But I do thank you for your help – and I would be grateful if you could come with me to the clinic. Frances may need medical help.’
Dr Renton frowned at her. ‘If you are correct in thinking that she is being mistreated that is quite possible. And perhaps Dr Marsham should not escape a prison sentence for what he has done. I can only think that he had a reason for his action …’
‘Sam Danby is a rich man,’ Emily said with a twist of her mouth. ‘I can’t prove it, but I imagine Dr Marsham was paid for his services.’
He gave her a shocked look. ‘I hope that you don’t think I was paid for my part in this? I can assure you that had I known her family were not aware of what was happening I should never have agreed.’
‘I suggest that you are more careful in future,’ Emily said and then smiled when he looked upset. ‘I do believe that you acted in what you imagined were Frances’s best interests – but I am very afraid that they mean to harm her. She knows things about Mr Danby that he would not like to become common knowledge.’
‘Electric shock treatment,’ Dr Renton said thinking aloud. ‘I’ve read about it, though I can’t say I approve. It is supposed to help people who are suicidal and is sometimes used in cases of severe melancholia – but it can cause memory loss. One school of opinion believes that is a necessary side effect, but I am not inclined to that view. I think we need to be very careful when we are dealing with people. By destroying parts of their memory, we may deprive them of something very precious – even alter the personality.’
‘My God!’ Emily felt sick and angry. ‘I had better telephone my father-in-law at once. If those devils do that to Frances …’ She lifted her head. ‘Frances thinks she doesn’t want to live now, but I know how it feels to lose the people you love and in time it gets better.’
Dr Renton nodded, looking at her thoughtfully. ‘Come with me, Mrs Vane. I can show you where you can telephone in private.’
‘Thank you,’ Emily said. ‘You are very kind.’
‘If he is practising legally it should be easy enough to trace the clinic,’ Vane said when she rang him. ‘It’s my advice that you take two doctors with you when you go to fetch Frances, my dear. Leave nothing to chance. If this rogue took money from Danby he is a menace to society. I shall see what can be done about getting him struck off the register. Of course he may already be working unlicensed. It sounds as if no one bothered to check his credentials at the hospital.’
‘There was just a staff nurse on duty that morning, because Sister Norton was away ill. They may just have been lucky – and of course the nurse thought it was all right, because they drew one of the hospital doctors in with them.’
‘He deserves a stiff reprimand!’
‘Yes, perhaps,’ Emily agreed. ‘But he is quite newly qualified and I imagine he has learned his lesson. He says he was told that the family wanted Frances sectioned for her own safety – and he believed that Marsham was highly qualified in his field.’
‘Perhaps he will check the information out in future,’ Vane said gruffly. ‘Thank goodness your brother discovered what had happened as quickly as he did. Hopefully, we shall sort this business out before too much damage has been done. I don’t like the idea of her being given electric shock treatment, Emily. I’ve heard about that and it’s not something I would approve for anyone I cared for.’
‘I can’t bear to think of her shut up in a place like that,’ Emily said, her voice cracking with emotion. ‘I’m going to be staying with Daniel and Alice until we know where she has been taken. I have a feeling the clinic may not be far away.’
‘Not so sure about that,’ Vane said. ‘Didn’t you say Danby had interests of a dubious nature in London? I imagine he may know a few shady characters from his dealings there.’
‘Yes, perhaps,’ Emily agreed. ‘You will let me know as soon as you hear?’
‘I have several sources that might know something,’ Vane told her. ‘Chin up, Emily. We’ll find your sister for you – and when we do one or two people are going to wish they had never become involved in this business, I promise you.’
Emily smiled as she replaced the receiver. Vane had sounded very angry, and she knew that was for her sake. She turned to discover that the young doctor was still watching her.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I must be keeping you from your work.’
‘I have just about finished for the day,’ he said. ‘May I take you for a coffee? I think we should exchange telephone numbers – things like that?’
‘Yes, of course,’ Emily said. ‘Vane said that we should need two doctors. You might know of someone who would help us?’
‘Yes, I might,’ he agreed. ‘I have an elder brother who is also a GP. I am sure he would take some time off to accompany us – when you discover where she is?’
‘Thank you. I shall be happy to pay for his time – and yours.’
‘I don’t think either of us would expect to be paid,’ Dr Renton said. ‘I feel responsible for what has happened to your sister – and my brother will tell me I am all kinds of a fool for not checking things out thoroughly before signing. However, he will be glad to help put things right.’
‘Thank you,’ Emily said. She gave him a smile that took his breath away. ‘I’m not sure what I would have done if you hadn’t been so understanding.’
‘Oh, I think you would have persuaded me in the error of my ways,’ he replied. ‘My name is Paul and I am very pleased to be of service to you, Mrs Vane. I think your husband is a lucky man.’
‘My husband died from injuries sustained in the war,’ Emily told him. ‘No, please don’t be shocked or upset. I am not distressed by what you said. You couldn’t have known – and it was all a long time ago. I have a wonderful son and some good friends.’
‘I am glad,’ he said. ‘I should be happy if perhaps I might be counted as one of those friends in the future?’
‘We’ll talk about that over coffee,’ Emily said. ‘Shall we go to the Copper Kettle? I have been before but I don’t know what it is like these days.’
‘Very busy,’ Paul Renton said. ‘I know somewhere much nicer – if you will trust me?’
‘Oh yes,’ Emily said. ‘I think I can do that, Paul. My friends call me Emily …’
Ten
‘I’m not sure I would trust him after what he did,’ Alice said when Emily told them that she had had coffee with one of the doctors who had signed the committal papers for Frances. ‘He is either dishonest or a fool.’
‘No, I don’t think he is either, actually,’ Emily said. ‘He wasn’t careful enough and he k
nows that he made a mistake, but he is doing his best to put things right. He has promised to help me get Frances out once we know where she has been taken.’
‘Daniel is furious with Sam Danby,’ Alice said and looked worried. ‘I think he borrowed some money from Sam once – or at least deferred payment for some foodstuffs for the pigs. I suppose he felt a bit obliged to him, and he didn’t want to believe the things you told him.’
‘I hope he believes me now?’
‘Yes, of course. He was so angry when he went out. I hope he won’t do anything stupid …’
‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know,’ Alice said, a worried expression on her pretty face. ‘Dan is feeling a lot better these days. He wasn’t strong when he first came home, but he is now – and he has such a temper when he is provoked.’
‘You think he might go after Danby?’
‘Yes, I do,’ Alice said. ‘I know what he did was wicked – and he needs to be punished – but I don’t want Daniel to go to prison.’
‘No, of course not,’ Emily said. ‘It is so unnecessary, Alice. Dan might give him a thrashing but he could end up in trouble himself. And once we have Frances safe, Vane is going to pull strings. We know that Danby has that apartment block in London. Vane thinks there may be other places and he has already put out some feelers. If we can prove what he has been doing we can ruin him, and he may be the one going to prison. So tell Dan not to be a fool. Danby will be punished.’
‘You’re so sure of everything,’ Alice said. ‘It must be living in that big house and running that convalescent home all those years. You’re not much older than me and yet you seem years …’ Alice broke off and blushed. ‘I didn’t mean it like that … I meant you were more experienced.’
‘Yes, perhaps I am,’ Emily said. ‘But sometimes I do feel as if I am older than my years.’
She smiled oddly, thinking how much she had enjoyed having a coffee with Paul Renton. He was probably about her age, but he too seemed younger. She imagined he thought her several years older than himself – and in some ways she was, because she had seen and done so much these past years. Sometimes she thought that the war had robbed her of her youth – but she wasn’t unique. Too many men had died, and a lot of women had lost their husbands or sons. Emily wasn’t the only one. She sighed and thrust the slightly regretful thoughts to the back of her mind. She had made up her mind after Terry died – she never wanted to fall in love again, because it hurt too much.
Daniel wasn’t sure what had made him get on the train for London, but he was here and had been standing in front of the apartment block for the past hour, watching a succession of men ring the bell and be admitted by various girls.
It was all true, he realized. Everything that Emily had told him about the apartment block was right, because even though he had never used a prostitute himself, he recognized what was going on here. He had laughed when his sister told him, thinking it amusing, but faced with reality – some of the girls looked hardly more than fifteen – it sickened him. Sam Danby was no better than the pimps that plied their trade through girls walking the streets, except that he supplied them with a roof over their heads. He should damned well be ashamed of himself. Daniel certainly didn’t think it was amusing now!
He turned and walked away, feeling disgusted with what he had seen. He had no doubt that Emily was right about Danby’s motives – and he was going to pay for what he had done to Frances!
Seeing a red telephone kiosk, Daniel fished for some coins in his pocket, then went in and dialled his home number. After a few moments Alice answered it.
‘Is that you, Dan?’ she asked when he spoke. ‘Where are you? I was beginning to worry.’
‘Sorry love,’ he said. ‘I’m in London but I’ll catch the next train back. Tell Emily I am sorry I doubted her – everything she said is true. Frances was right. He is running a brothel in those apartments – and I believe that he had her shut away so that she couldn’t ruin his reputation. He made a big mistake, Alice. He is going to pay for what he has done, believe me.’
‘Please don’t do anything silly,’ Alice begged. ‘Emily has gone to fetch Frances back. Lord Vane telephoned her half an hour ago to tell her where Frances is being held. He is sending some people of his own there to sort this mess out. Emily is taking that doctor with her … Oh, you don’t know, but he signed the papers and has now signed a release form. Apparently, the clinic is near Peterborough and Emily says that Frances will be with her when she comes back in a few hours time. So please come home and forget about Sam. He isn’t important.’
‘I’m coming home on the next train,’ Daniel said, his voice throbbing with suppressed anger. ‘But I shan’t forget what he has done, Alice. He isn’t going to get away with this …’ He replaced the receiver as his money ran out. As he walked away from the phone box, he was seething with anger. He was glad that Emily’s father-in-law had traced Frances so quickly, and he knew that Emily would sort things out that end – but it was up to him to make certain that Sam got what was coming to him!
Frances had learned not to refuse medication. They had started giving her the drugs in tablet form now. She took the little container the nurse held out to her, put the two tablets into her mouth and drank from the glass of water she was given and then turned over on her side.
When she was certain that the nurse had gone, leaving her alone in the small room where she was being confined, she spat the tablets out from under her tongue and hid them under the mattress. She turned over on to her back, opening her eyes cautiously. Yes, she was alone. The nurse was one of the younger members of staff and she hadn’t made Frances open her mouth to check that the drugs had gone.
Taking a deep breath, Frances sat up and waited for the dizziness to pass before putting a foot to the floor. She was still feeling unwell, because the drugs they had been giving her made her stomach ache and her throat was dry. She had been given some soup and a cup of tea earlier in the day, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before they started the electric shock treatment. She wasn’t sure why they were still giving her sedatives to keep her quiet, because she had understood what was meant to happen to her. Dr Marsham was going to give her treatment that would make her lose her memory.
Frances didn’t want to lose the past. She had grieved so terribly for Charlie – more than for Marcus, because he had wasted his life and she was still angry with him for leaving her. Charlie had been her adorable little boy, so full of life and the joy of living. She had wanted to end the misery and the pain and so she’d taken those aspirin, but she hadn’t had enough, because there were only a few left in the packet that Muriel had left in the drawer. If she’d really wanted to end it she should have gone out and bought at least two packets, Frances thought ruefully as she looked about her.
She certainly didn’t want to stay here and become little more than a cabbage after Dr Marsham had finished with her. Her life might be empty but she wasn’t prepared to be used in that way – and she had no intention of letting Sam Danby have the last laugh. It was her anger against Sam that had brought Frances back from the drug induced fog that had made her so vulnerable at the hospital. He had destroyed Marcus and now he was trying to destroy her. Well, he wasn’t going to get away with it.
Frances put her feet to the floor. She looked down at herself and saw that she was wearing a white starched hospital gown, similar to those used by patients undergoing an operation – but there were straps attached to the sleeves. She shuddered as she realized that they were long enough to go across her body and fasten at the back, which would make it impossible for her to free her arms if they were fastened.
Had someone neglected to restrain her as intended – or was that to come later when they took her down for the shock treatment? And why hadn’t they already begun the treatment?
Frances moved softly on bare feet across to the window and looked out. She was too high up to get out that way, and from the look of the lock on the handle she
would find it impossible to open. Yet somehow she had to get out of this place – and it looked as if she would have to leave through the door.
She crept towards it, her heart racing with fright. If someone saw her she would be brought straight back here and they would go back to using the needle on her. She breathed deeply as she turned the door handle and found that it opened easily. For a moment she stared at the opening, unable to believe that it hadn’t been secured. She had been certain that she was locked in, but it seemed that either someone was being careless or they hadn’t expected her to try and leave her room.
The corridor was dimly lit but a little further down she could see bright lights in one of the rooms. As she hesitated, the door opened and she heard voices.
‘What are you going to do when they get here?’ a man asked.
‘Trust Marsham not to be here when he is needed,’ a woman’s voice said. ‘What am I supposed to say to the police? I didn’t bring the patient here. It’s nothing to do with me …’
The door shut again, and Frances seized her opportunity, running past it as quickly as she could on bare feet that made no sound, and disappearing round the corner before whoever it was could come out and discover her. She saw a staircase ahead of her; there was a metal handrail and the steps were of a dull grey marble. She held on to the rail and she went down them, feeling the icy coldness strike into her. At the bottom of the stairs she saw a door and held her breath. Surely it had to be locked? She turned the handle hoping that she was wrong, but she knew even as she felt the resistance that it was a futile hope. A place like this was bound to have security measures, which made her wonder why her own door had not been locked. Had someone left it that way on purpose?
She couldn’t go back, which meant that she had to go on. At the bottom of the stairs it was possible to go either to the left or the right. Frances hesitated, wondering which way to choose. She had no idea where she was going or how she was going to get out of the clinic, but, hearing the voices of people approaching from the right, she realized that she had no choice and turned to the left.