Perry spoke on his behalf, but the magistrate seemed to have made up his mind from the outset and without any further ado, he referred the case to the Crown Court.

‘I’m sorry, Kate,’ Perry said when they met outside the court room. ‘I did my best, but Trader’s reputation seems to have gone before him.’

‘What do you think it means?’ Kate asked anxiously. ‘Will he go to prison for a long time, if he’s found guilty, that is?’

‘It seems likely. I don’t want to give you false hope.’

‘His mother will be devastated. She really had no idea that he was involved in criminal activities.’

‘Keep your voice down, Kate.’ Perry glanced around anxiously. ‘Anyone might be listening, and I have to prepare the case if I’m to represent him at the Old Bailey.’

‘Have you changed your mind about him?’

‘No, not entirely, but it will be a challenge.’

‘Thank you, Perry. I’m sure that Harry will be very grateful to have you as his counsel.’

‘I don’t think that grateful is in his vocabulary, Kate, but I will do my best to get him acquitted, if only for your sake.’

Kate eyed him curiously. ‘For my sake?’

‘If he is acquitted it means that your connection with him through the soup kitchen is quite legitimate, and you are exonerated. I am doing this for you, not for Trader. Now, I have another client to see, so I must go.’

Kate was left speechless as she watched him walk away.

‘Ain’t that romantic?’ Jenny said dreamily. ‘He done it for you, miss.’

‘I can look after myself, and I’m not closing down the soup kitchen. I won’t let all those people down who have come to depend upon us. In fact, we’d better hurry now or poor Ivy will be coping on her own again.’

They arrived in Cable Street to find the queue of hungry people stretching almost as far as the railway bridge. Annie was standing outside the closed doors of the soup kitchen, playing a lively tune on her concertina, but it was hard to tell if the music had any effect on those whose bellies growled with hunger. Their grey, pinched faces and stick-like limbs revealed how close some of them were to starvation. Kate was painfully aware that the meal the soup kitchen provided was the only thing keeping the poorest of them from the dreaded workhouse or, even worse, dying on the street.

‘Where’ve you been?’ Ivy demanded as Kate and Jenny entered the kitchen.

‘I’m sorry,’ Kate said humbly. ‘Harry Trader was up in court today. I wanted to be there to see the case first-hand.’

‘He’s a criminal.’ Ivy heaved a large pan from the range. ‘Help me to get this into the dining room, Jenny. You might slice the bread, Kate. I can’t allow the twins to wield a knife.’