Gloria stopped, intrigued. ‘Care to elaborate?’

Kate hesitated, squirming, hating the spotlight. She was sharply aware of how woefully unqualified she was, how she really had no idea what she was talking about.

‘Um . . . it’s a young boy who lives in a village in Sussex. His house is right next to a farm. I have reason to believe that the chemicals that are continually sprayed on the crops next to his house have made him really ill.’ She cleared her throat nervously. ‘And he’s not the only one. There are several people, all in the same area.’

Gloria nodded. ‘Is it illegal?’

‘Is what illegal?’

‘What the farmer’s doing.’

‘Actually . . . no.’

Gloria looked around at the rest of the class, eyebrows raised. ‘So how do you intend to sue him?’

‘Um . . . I just think it’s wrong. What he’s doing. Surely it’s against the boy’s human rights or something?’

‘Or something?’ echoed Gloria.

Kate felt herself getting hot. ‘That’s why I’m here. To figure out what’s possible.’

Gloria appraised her. ‘Tort law. That’s what’s possible. Your farmer has a duty of care to his or her neighbouring residents to make sure they don’t come into contact with pesticides that could cause them harm. If they do, through his actions, he has a duty to compensate.’

Kate was scribbling furiously.

Gloria continued. ‘Can you prove a causal link between what the farmer has done and this boy’s illness?’

‘Um . . .’ Kate looked up, bit her lip. Gloria’s eyebrows went up again.

‘So, who owns your farm?’ asked Gloria.

‘I don’t know.’

‘How are you going to find out?’

Kate was silent. She had no idea.

‘Anyone?’ said Gloria, casting her eyes around the room.

‘Land registry,’ called out Clifford, the property owner.

Gloria smiled. ‘Correct! And if a company is listed as the owner?’

‘Companies House,’ added Clifford.

Kate wrote it all down in her notepad.

‘Of course, your farmer will have public liability insurance,’ said Gloria.

‘Would that cover any claim that might be made against him?’

Gloria smiled. ‘Depends. Might cover up to ten million. You going for more?’

Kate had no idea at that moment. All this information was swimming in her head; in fact, she was finding the whole process hard to pin down.

‘Any experience as a lawyer?’ asked Gloria.

Kate looked up from her notepad. ‘No.’

Was that a look of scepticism? Or curiosity? She felt herself wobble.

‘So, you’re acting as a litigation friend.’

A what?

Gloria saw her face. ‘You’ve got a lot to learn.’

Kate didn’t answer. That was obvious.

‘Big project,’ said Gloria.

‘Yes.’

‘Better grow some balls.’

Kate staggered back home just after ten that night, shutting the door against the rain. She hung up her wet coat in the hallway and went to collapse on the sofa.

‘How’s the student?’ said Tim, as he hastily tidied up some papers on the coffee table.

‘I know nothing. Nothing.’

‘Come on, it wasn’t that bad, was it?’