Frances loses access to Ryan
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Mrs. Beresford informs Frances that she will be taking over the one-to-one sessions with the year six students, a decision which leads Frances to realize that Catherine's visit has raised suspicions.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Anxious and defiant—she’s been outmaneuvered, but her loyalty to Tommy Lee Royce and her mission to groom Ryan fuels her determination to adapt and counter Catherine’s moves.
Frances is depicted in the classroom at St. Marks, assisting a child with their work when Mrs. Beresford interrupts her. Though the dialogue is minimal, Frances’ reaction—a lingering, contemplative expression—speaks volumes. She processes Mrs. Beresford’s explanation ('feedback exercise') but recognizes it as a pretext, her mind flashing back to her earlier encounter with Catherine. Her body language stiffens slightly, and her gaze becomes distant, as if calculating her next move. The removal from Ryan’s sessions is a direct blow to her mission, and her internal monologue hints at her growing desperation.
- • To maintain her access to Ryan despite the restrictions, possibly by finding alternative ways to interact with him or exploiting loopholes in the school’s policies.
- • To avoid drawing further suspicion by reacting visibly to Mrs. Beresford’s decision, instead biding her time to regroup.
- • Catherine’s investigation is a temporary setback, not a permanent obstacle to her mission.
- • Her connection to Tommy Lee Royce grants her a moral high ground, justifying her actions regardless of institutional pushback.
Authoritative but uneasy—she’s following Catherine’s lead, but the pretextual nature of her explanation suggests she’s uncomfortable with the deception, even if it’s for a good cause.
Mrs. Beresford enters the classroom at St. Marks and delivers her pretextual explanation for removing Frances from the one-on-one sessions. Her tone is authoritative, her body language unyielding, and her choice of words ('Senco’s asked me') frames the decision as bureaucratic and routine. However, her direct gaze at Frances and the timing of the intervention (immediately after Catherine’s confrontation) betray the true motive: she’s acting as an extension of Catherine’s investigative pressure, using institutional protocols to restrict Frances’ access to Ryan. Her role is that of a reluctant enforcer, caught between her duty to protect the students and her discomfort with Catherine’s heavy-handed tactics.
- • To remove Frances from unsupervised access to Ryan without causing a scene or revealing the true reason (Catherine’s suspicions).
- • To maintain the school’s reputation and adherence to protocol, even as she bends the rules to accommodate Catherine’s request.
- • Frances poses a potential threat to Ryan, but without concrete evidence, she must act indirectly.
- • Institutional policies can be flexed when child safety is at stake, even if it requires creative interpretations of the rules.
Conflict-ridden—feigning skepticism to mask her deepening fear that Frances poses a real threat to Ryan, while grappling with the moral weight of her suspicions.
Catherine stands in her kitchen, preparing to leave for work while Clare expresses unease about Frances’ trustworthiness. Initially dismissive—using metaphors like 'rice pudding' to downplay Frances’ threat—Catherine’s facade cracks as she voices her growing suspicion that Frances might indeed be connected to Tommy Lee Royce. Her body language shifts from casual to tense, and her dialogue becomes fragmented ('Surely... Surely...'), betraying her internal conflict. The scene cuts to her indirect influence at St. Marks, where her earlier confrontation with Mrs. Beresford leads to Frances’ removal from Ryan’s sessions, a tangible consequence of Catherine’s investigative pressure.
- • To reassure Clare (and herself) that Frances is harmless, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
- • To leverage her authority as a police officer to restrict Frances’ access to Ryan, using institutional channels (e.g., Mrs. Beresford) to avoid direct confrontation.
- • Frances’ naivety might be a front for something darker, but Catherine resists fully acknowledging this until forced to.
- • Institutional protocols (e.g., school policies) can be weaponized to protect Ryan without Catherine having to act directly or reveal her hand.
Anxious and frustrated—she senses a threat but lacks concrete evidence, and Catherine’s reluctance to act fully frustrates her protective instincts.
Clare, midway through packing her allotment tools, pauses to voice her lingering doubts about Frances’ trustworthiness. Her dialogue is sparse but pointed, using the metaphor 'poison in little bottles' to imply that danger often comes in unexpected, unassuming forms. She locks eyes with Catherine, her posture tense, as if willing her sister to take the threat seriously. Though she defers to Catherine’s authority, her insistence ('Yeah. But.') underscores her refusal to let the topic drop, creating an undercurrent of tension in the kitchen.
- • To compel Catherine to acknowledge the potential danger Frances poses, even if Catherine isn’t ready to.
- • To ensure Ryan’s safety by planting seeds of doubt in Catherine’s mind, leveraging their sisterly bond.
- • Catherine’s professional instincts are clouding her judgment, and she’s underestimating Frances’ capacity for harm.
- • Metaphors and indirect warnings are the only way to break through Catherine’s defensive rationalization.
Not applicable (off-screen), but inferred as potentially anxious or confused if he were aware of the adults’ suspicions.
Ryan is not physically present in this scene, but his absence is the catalyst for the entire exchange. Clare and Catherine’s dialogue revolves around protecting him from Frances’ potential influence, and the decision to restrict Frances’ access to his one-on-one sessions is a direct consequence of their concern for his well-being. Ryan’s indirect presence looms over the scene, symbolizing the stakes of the power struggle between Catherine and Frances.
- • N/A (off-screen, but implied: to remain safe and unaware of the threat).
- • N/A (off-screen, but implied: trust in his grandmother and aunt to protect him).
Neutral but attentive—he’s focused on the task at hand but doesn’t share Catherine’s urgency or Clare’s unease.
Shafiq Shah is briefly mentioned in the kitchen scene, where Catherine suggests visiting Daryl and Alison Garrs. His response—'Yeah, if they’re speaking to us.'—is terse and skeptical, reflecting his pragmatic view of the Garrs’ likely cooperation. He doesn’t engage further, but his presence underscores the investigative team’s dynamic: Catherine drives the action, while Shafiq provides grounded realism. His role here is functional, serving as a foil to Catherine’s more impulsive instincts.
- • To assess the Garrs’ potential as leads or obstacles in the investigation, without overcommitting to Catherine’s suspicions.
- • To maintain professional skepticism, ensuring that investigative steps are justified and not driven solely by emotion.
- • The Garrs are unlikely to provide useful information without coercion or leverage.
- • Catherine’s instincts are often correct, but they need to be balanced with procedural caution.
Not applicable (off-screen), but inferred as triumphant—his plan to infiltrate Ryan’s life is progressing, despite Catherine’s interference.
Tommy Lee Royce is not physically present, but his influence permeates the scene. Frances’ actions and Catherine’s suspicions are entirely driven by her connection to him. The mention of 'Gravesend' (his prison) and the implication that Frances is visiting him frame him as the puppet master, pulling strings from behind bars. His absence makes his presence more sinister, as his indirect control over Frances—and by extension, Ryan—becomes the unseen force driving the conflict.
- • N/A (off-screen, but implied: to extend his reach to Ryan through Frances, despite obstacles).
- • N/A (off-screen, but implied: that his control over Frances is absolute, and that Catherine’s efforts are futile in the long run).
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Clare’s allotment tools—spades, trowels, gloves, and bags—are packed and unpacked in the kitchen as she prepares to leave for her plot. While they serve a practical purpose (tending to her garden), their presence in this scene is symbolic. The tools represent Clare’s grounding in routine and nature, a contrast to the tension and suspicion swirling around Frances. Their cluttered arrangement on the counter mirrors the emotional disarray in the room, as Clare’s unease about Frances disrupts the usual rhythm of her preparations. The tools are a silent witness to the exchange, their earthy practicality a foil to the abstract threat Frances poses.
The 'decent cup o’ tea' Catherine mentions as a pretext for visiting the Garrs’ farm serves as a symbolic and functional object in this event. On the surface, it’s a casual offer—a way to soften the investigative visit and make it seem like a social call. However, its mention underscores the power dynamics at play: Catherine is using hospitality as a tool to gain entry and extract information, while the Garrs’ potential refusal ('if they’re speaking to us') highlights their resistance. The tea itself is never seen, but its invocation frames the entire interaction, blending the mundane with the manipulative.
Catherine’s metaphor of a 'rice pudding'—specifically its 'thin, fragile skin'—serves as a narrative device to downplay Frances’ threat. The image of a creamy, harmless dessert is used to trivialise Frances, framing her as soft, naive, and incapable of harm. However, the metaphor backfires subtly: by invoking something seemingly innocuous, Catherine inadvertently acknowledges that danger can come in unexpected, unassuming forms. The rice pudding becomes a double-edged symbol, reinforcing Clare’s earlier warning about 'poison in little bottles.' Its mention lingers, a reminder that appearances can be deceiving, and that Catherine’s own instincts are conflicted.
The 'Year 6 Pupil Feedback' cited by Mrs. Beresford as the reason for removing Frances from one-on-one sessions is a fabricated pretext, but its narrative role is crucial. It serves as the institutional justification for Mrs. Beresford’s action, allowing her to restrict Frances’ access to Ryan without explicitly admitting that Catherine’s suspicions are the real driver. The object (the feedback exercise) is a tool of bureaucratic control, used to mask the true motive—protecting Ryan from a potential threat. Its mention lingers in the air, a reminder of how institutions can be weaponized for protective ends, even at the cost of transparency.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Daryl and Alison Garrs’ residence is mentioned in passing as a potential stop on Catherine’s itinerary. Though not physically depicted, its implication as a site of investigation adds another layer to the scene’s tension. The Garrs’ home is framed as a place of resistance—Shafiq’s skepticism ('if they’re speaking to us') suggests that the couple may not cooperate, adding to the investigative hurdles Catherine faces. The location symbolizes the broader challenge of uncovering the truth in a community where trust is scarce and secrets are closely guarded. Its mention serves as a reminder that Catherine’s battle against Frances is part of a larger, interconnected web of deceit.
Gravesend Prison is invoked indirectly through Catherine’s mention of Tommy Lee Royce and Frances’ potential visits. Though not physically present in the scene, its looming presence shapes the entire event. The prison represents the source of the threat—Tommy Lee Royce’s manipulative influence—and serves as a reminder that Frances is acting as his proxy. The location’s absence makes it more sinister: it’s the unseen force driving the conflict, a place of confinement that has somehow extended its reach into Ryan’s life. The mention of Gravesend frames Frances’ actions as part of a larger, systemic threat, one that Catherine must counter not just at the school, but at its root.
The classroom at St. Marks Junior School serves as the second act of this event, where the abstract tensions from Catherine’s kitchen are given tangible form. The space is bustling with children, but the focus narrows to Frances and Mrs. Beresford’s interaction. The classroom’s mundane activity (desks, chalkboards, scattered books) contrasts sharply with the high-stakes power struggle unfolding. Mrs. Beresford’s intervention is framed as bureaucratic, but the subtext is clear: this is where Catherine’s suspicions are acted upon, and where Frances’ mission is directly challenged. The location’s role is to amplify the institutional power dynamics at play, showing how authority (Mrs. Beresford) can be wielded to protect (Ryan) while also revealing the fragility of such protections.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
St. Marks Junior School functions as both a setting and an active participant in this event. The organization’s role is twofold: first, as the institution where Ryan’s safety is directly threatened by Frances’ presence, and second, as the tool Catherine uses to restrict Frances’ access without direct confrontation. Mrs. Beresford’s action—removing Frances from one-on-one sessions under the pretext of 'pupil feedback'—demonstrates how the school’s bureaucratic machinery can be leveraged for protective ends. However, the organization’s involvement also highlights its limitations: while it can enforce rules, it lacks the authority to fully address the root of the threat (Frances’ connection to Tommy Lee Royce). The school’s response is reactive, not proactive, reflecting its role as a mediator in a larger conflict.
The Hebden Bridge Police Force is represented indirectly through Catherine’s authority and her collaboration with Shafiq Shah. While the organization itself is not physically present in this event, its influence is felt in Catherine’s ability to leverage institutional power (e.g., pressuring Mrs. Beresford to act) and in Shafiq’s skeptical but supportive role. The police force’s involvement is subtle but critical: it provides the backbone for Catherine’s investigative efforts, even as it operates within the constraints of procedural caution (e.g., Shafiq’s skepticism about the Garrs’ cooperation). The organization’s presence is a reminder that Catherine’s actions are not just personal but are tied to her professional role, adding weight to her suspicions and her determination to protect Ryan.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Catherine's electric moment of recognizing Frances at the school causes Mrs. Beresford to take over the year six sessions, making Frances realize Catherine's visit has raised suspicions."
"Frances is removed from her one-to-one sessions, then Catherine tells Mike that Frances impersonated a deceased woman to visit Tommy Lee Royce in prison, suggesting the series of events are causally linked."
"Frances is removed from her one-to-one sessions, then Catherine tells Mike that Frances impersonated a deceased woman to visit Tommy Lee Royce in prison, suggesting the series of events are causally linked."
Key Dialogue
"CLARE: ((worried)) Well if you’re confident, leaving him there."
"CATHERINE: I’m starting to wonder - if it is her - that maybe she’s just soft. Naive. Wet. Misguided. She didn’t look like she could knock the skin off a rice pudding."
"CLARE: Yeah. But. Poison comes in little bottles. As you say."
"MRS.BERESFORD: Senco’s asked me to gather some pupil feedback from the one-to-one students in year six, so I’m going to work with them myself today."