He shook his head. ‘No, but I have a court session in half an hour, Kate. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. This isn’t the best part of town,’ he added in a low voice.

‘That’s why we’re here.’ Kate followed him to the street entrance. ‘You won’t say anything of that nature to my father, will you?’

‘No, of course not. You’re a young woman who knows her own mind. I admire you for that, but be careful, that’s all I’m saying.’ He picked up his hat, gloves and cane. ‘Good luck, Kate. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.’ He was about to leave but he paused, listening to the tune that Annie was playing. ‘She is a good musician.’

‘Yes, and I’ve told her she’s wasting her talents playing in the streets of Whitechapel, but she seems content to do so.’

‘Maybe we can help her. She looks so frail, as if a puff of wind would blow her away.’

‘Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love, Perry?’

‘Of course not.’ He leaned over to brush her cheek with a whisper of a kiss. ‘I’m just speaking the truth. Anyway, I must get back to my dusty books; Annie was quite right. I really should get out of the office more often.’ He walked off at a brisk pace, ramming his top hat on his head as he went.

Kate closed the door and went back to the kitchen. She was met by a ring of jammy, grinning faces as the children swayed in time to the sound of Annie’s concertina.

Jenny handed Kate a cup of tea. ‘What a nice young man. Is he your sweetheart, miss?’

‘I knew him before I went to India, but I haven’t seen him for three years.’

‘He’s very handsome,’ Jenny said, grinning. ‘I wish I had a gentleman friend like him.’

Ivy went round her children with a damp cloth, wiping jam from sticky faces and fingers. ‘Right, Frankie, May and Jimmy. You can go out and spread the word that the soup kitchen will be open at midday. May, you can take Nellie with you, but don’t let her stray too near the docks or the watermen’s stairs.’

‘Yes, Ma.’ May’s small face lit up with pride as she took her younger sister by the hand. ‘Come on, Nellie. You and me will bring in more people than Frankie and Jimmy.’

Frankie scrambled to his feet and headed for the street door, followed by Jimmy. ‘I’ll beat you two, easy. Nellie’s just a baby and you’re a girl.’

‘I’m not a baby and I’ll get more people than you do, Frankie.’ Nellie pushed past him and raced out into the street.