‘If you’ll tell me if the landlord will accept my offer I’ll give you my answer and be on my way,’ Kate said reasonably.

Spears opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of someone rattling the back door made him spin round so violently that he spilled his tea down the front of his nightshirt.

‘It’s Trader,’ he said nervously. ‘You’d best nip out the front door, miss. You don’t want nothing to do with Harry Trader.’

Chapter Four

Kate was about to tell him that she was going nowhere until she received an answer when the door burst open. A tall, broad-shouldered man, wearing a navy-blue reefer jacket and a peaked cap pulled down over his brow filled the doorway with his presence.

‘Harry, my dear friend,’ Spears said in a shaky voice. ‘To what do I owe this honour?’

‘Who is this?’ Trader demanded, glowering at Kate.

She was not about to be cowed by a bully and she stepped forward, facing him with a defiant stare. ‘My name is Kate Martin and I’m the prospective tenant of these premises.’

He stepped inside, pushing his cap to the back of his head to reveal dark hair waved back from a high forehead. His blue-green eyes, the colour of which put Kate forcibly in mind of the Indian Ocean, gleamed with amusement.

‘Why would a young lady like you want to rent this run-down place?’

‘Exactly what I said.’ Spears clutched his dressing gown closer around his body, eyeing Trader nervously. ‘Can I do anything for you, Harry?’

‘You can get the main room upstairs ready for a meeting tonight, Spears. When I say ready, I mean clean and tidy and a good fire going. Last time I came here it was a disgusting mess.’

‘Yes, sir. I does me best.’

‘If that’s what you call your best you’d better find yourself another job.’

‘Do you own these premises?’ Kate stared at Harry Trader in dismay.

‘Not good enough for you, Miss Martin?’ Trader grinned, revealing a row of even white teeth. ‘There’s the door. I suggest you leave now.’

‘I’ll go upstairs and start cleaning,’ Spears said hastily.

‘No, wait.’ Kate caught him by the sleeve. ‘You said you’d speak to the owner and it’s obvious that you did nothing of the sort.’

‘You can ask him yourself.’ Spears retreated into the front room, then there was the sound of his bare feet thudding on the wooden stair treads.

Kate turned to Trader, arms akimbo. ‘Your man asked for an exorbitant rent.’

‘You are persistent, I’ll give you that. But you still haven’t told me why you would want to rent rooms in Cable Street.’