Shaken to the Core

by Jae

  Miss Kate chuckled. “I knew it—you have a sense of humor after all.”

  Giuliana bit her lip. At home, she’d been known for her sense of humor, but lately, there hadn’t been much reason for laughter—or anyone to share it with.

  “You are hurt,” Miss Kate said, obviously misinterpreting the cause of Giuliana’s pained expression. “Let me see.”

  “I am good. No need to—”

  “Let me see,” Miss Kate repeated.

  So she could sound like her strict mother if she wanted. Giuliana dropped her hands from around her ankle.

  Carefully, Miss Kate reached out and pushed the hem of Giuliana’s dress up a little. “Can you…um…” She cleared her throat. “…take off your stocking so I can see the ankle?” A reddish color stained her normally fair face.

  They were both women, so there was no reason to blush. At least that was what Giuliana told herself as she reached beneath her dress, undid the garter that held her left stocking in place, and rolled down the cotton garment. But she could feel the heat creeping up her neck anyway.

  Neither looked at the other. Instead, they both kept their gazes fixed on Giuliana’s ankle.

  “That doesn’t look good,” Miss Kate said, sounding a little hoarse, as if she were regarding a mortal wound. “It’s starting to swell. Let me get you some ice from the ice box.”

  When she wanted to get up, Giuliana clutched her arm. Then, suddenly aware of how inappropriate grabbing a lady’s arm was for a maid, she let go. “No please. I do not want your parents to know.”

  “But you need—”

  “The leg is all good. See?” Giuliana pushed herself to her feet and took a wobbly step. Pain shot up her leg, but she ignored it.

  “You call that good? You’re limping. You need to be seen by a doctor.”

  Giuliana wildly shook her head. She had enough of doctors for the time being. Besides, she didn’t want to waste her hard-earned money. “It is not so bad. I rest it all day tomorrow. By Monday morning, I will be like new.” She tried to limp to the door, but as soon as she put her full weight on her left leg, it buckled.

  Only Miss Kate’s quick reaction saved her from falling a second time. A surprisingly strong arm grabbed hold of Giuliana and kept her upright.

  Breathless, Giuliana peered at her from just inches away. “Thank you. I…”

  “You need a doctor,” Miss Kate said. “Don’t worry. I’ll pay for it. It happened during your work hours, after all, so the law says it’s my family’s responsibility.”

  Giuliana had never heard of such a law, but then again, she had also never before been employed. Her ankle throbbed in rhythm with the rapid beat of her heart. “But if a doctor comes here, your parents know I fell.”

  “I won’t call a doctor,” Miss Kate said with a glint in her eyes. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

  The hospital…The place where Turi had died. A shiver went through Giuliana. But Turi would have wanted her to take good care of herself, so she finally nodded. “All right.”

  “Um, your stocking.” Miss Kate pointed down to where the black stocking pooled around Giuliana’s left ankle.

  Her cheeks once again warming, Giuliana bent, pulled up the stocking over her knee, and fastened it to the garter strap. She put her right shoe back on and tried to wrestle her injured foot into the left one but quickly gave up. The foot was too swollen and didn’t fit, so she would have to carry her other shoe.

  “Ready?” Miss Kate had waited with her back to Giuliana to give her privacy.

  “Ready.”

  Slowly, Miss Kate started leading her to the door.

  “Wait!” Giuliana pulled them to a stop. “The books!”

  After making sure Giuliana could keep upright on her own, Miss Kate let go and hurried back to the shelf. She picked up each book, gave it a quick once-over, and put it back where it belonged. “There.” Her arm around Giuliana, she led her to the door and opened it.

  They peeked out, looking left and right. The hall beyond was empty.

  Giuliana had to grin and saw Miss Kate do the same. “This is like the stories my landlady told me about,” she whispered. “The ones where they find bad men.”

  Miss Kate pressed her free hand to her mouth to suppress the laughter that threatened to bubble up. “You mean like the Sherlock Holmes novels? Yes, just without the dead body. Although if my parents catch us, there might be one.”

  That made them both grin even more. Giuliana tried to tell herself that it was completely crazy, but for some reason it felt like an exciting adventure. She hadn’t felt like this since she’d been a little girl, sneaking out of the house to pick lemons with Turi.

  Slowly, they stepped out into the hall and closed the door to the study behind them.

  “Wait,” Miss Kate whispered. She tiptoed down the hall and returned with Giuliana’s coat, her straw hat, and a black leather suitcase.

  What was that? Had Miss Kate been all set to go on a trip and had now put it off to take care of her? “If you have to go some place, I understand. I can go to the hospital alone.”

  “No need,” Miss Kate whispered back. “I’m going exactly where I want to go.”

  She started to lead Giuliana to the front door, but this time it was Giuliana who pulled her to a stop. “We go out the servants’ entrance.”

  They’d have to go through the kitchen, but since dinner had been finished some time ago, it would probably be empty. They squeezed through the kitchen door side by side.

  Too late, Giuliana realized that the kitchen wasn’t empty after all.

  Biddy looked up from the plate of leftover food from the family’s dinner that she had scraped together for herself. Her eyes widened, and she gulped down a piece of roast meat without chewing. “Miss Kate! Is there something you needed?” Then her gaze traveled to Giuliana, who was stuck to Miss Kate’s side. “What…?”

  “Never mind,” Miss Kate said. “Forget that you ever saw us.” Her tone brooked no argument.

  Mouth agape, Biddy nodded. Lord knew what she was thinking.

  Giuliana tried to ignore Biddy’s gaze that followed them as they crossed the kitchen toward the plain door the servants used to come and go. Finally, they made it outside and stood at the back of the house.

  The neighbor’s dog started barking.

  “Oh Madonna!” Giuliana whispered. “Biddy will tell your mother.”

  “She won’t dare,” Miss Kate said. “She’s been in our household long enough to know that my mother is the type who kills the messenger.”

  “Kills the messenger?” What was that supposed to mean?

  “It’s a saying. It means that when my mother finds out I was sneaking out so late in the day, she’ll take her anger out on the person who tells her. Biddy knows that, so she’ll keep quiet. Come on.” Miss Kate led them to a one-story building on the property. It looked like a stable, but no whinnying or neighing came when she pulled the door open. Instead, the light of a gas lantern on the outside wall reflected off a gleaming dark blue automobile. It had a leather top like a horse-drawn buggy and black upholstered leather seats, two in the front and a longer one in the back, which looked as if it seated at least two people.

  “Have you ever ridden in an automobile?” Miss Kate asked as she placed her suitcase on the backseat.

  Giuliana could only shake her head, still staring at the contraption. Up close, it looked awfully big. It had to weigh a ton.

  “Well, they say there’s a first time for everything.” Miss Kate offered her hand to help Giuliana up.

  “But…your father…he will be angry if you take the automobile, no?”

  “As long as it’s back safe and sound by the time he needs it tomorrow morning, he won’t care,” Miss Kate said. “If we’re lucky, he might not even notice it’s gone.”

  Giuliana hesitated, but she knew she’d never make it all the way home, down steep Nob Hill, with her swollen, throbbing ankle. She might not even be able to make it to the cab
le car stop. Gathering her skirt in her free hand, she glanced at the running board. Should she step up with her good foot first? She tried it. But the moment she lifted her good foot, her ankle refused to carry her weight, so she pitched forward.

  Miss Kate caught her around the hips and safely guided her up.

  With a relieved sigh, Giuliana slid into the leather seat. Heavens, it was more comfortable than anything she’d ever sat in! She caressed the smooth leather with one hand. “So good. I never get up,” she said and smiled at Miss Kate.

  A grin lit Miss Kate’s face. “Just wait until I get it started.” She walked around to the front of the automobile, attached a metal handle to the machine, and churned furiously.

  A sputter drifted up from beneath the motorcar’s shiny hood.

  Miss Kate stepped onto the running board and settled into the driver’s seat. Her hands gripped the steering wheel with confidence, as if she’d done it a thousand times before. Soon, they were rolling out of the stable and into the street. The automobile’s headlamps cut through the darkness. As soon as they rounded the corner and left the Winthrop mansion behind, Miss Kate lifted her foot off the pedal that was probably the brake.

  The automobile plunged down the hill.

  A startled scream escaped Giuliana. She reached up and gripped her straw hat with one hand to keep it from being swept off. When they didn’t crash against any of the buildings rushing by, her tight grip on the side of the seat loosened. She raised her face into the wind, letting it cool her heated cheeks. “This is like flying!” she shouted to Miss Kate.

  A carefree, almost wild grin on her face, Miss Kate shouted back, “It’s better than flying!” She worked the bellows of the brass horn. The honking sound echoed through the mist-filled darkness.

  They bounced over the cable car tracks and then raced down the street. In what seemed only seconds, they were rushing past Union Square. Miss Kate took a sharp right, then left again until she steered the automobile along Market Street.

  Giuliana had often watched the motorcars weaving around the horse-drawn wagons and buggies on the broad avenue, but she had never dreamed that she would one day ride in one—least of all with a woman behind the steering wheel. No anxiety gripped her. She felt safe with Miss Kate as her driver. “How did you learn to drive?” She no longer needed to shout so loudly, because they had slowed down once they reached Market Street, which was still busy, even at that hour.

  “I begged my father until he finally gave in and taught me,” Miss Kate answered.

  Giuliana shook her head to herself. Even if her own father had earned enough money to ever buy such an expensive machine, she doubted that he would have let her anywhere near it. No amount of begging would have convinced him to let her take over the wheel.

  “Good thing he did,” Miss Kate added. “I don’t think you could have made it home on that foot.”

  True. It would have taken her hours to limp home, if she would have even been able to make it that far. She gave Miss Kate a grateful nod.

  It wasn’t long until Miss Kate took a right turn onto another street, pulled the automobile to a stop, and cut the engine.

  For a few moments, Giuliana imagined she could still feel the vibrations, and she missed the exciting feeling of rushing down the street.

  “What is it?” Miss Kate asked next to her. “Has the pain gotten worse?”

  “Oh no, I just…” Unable to explain, Giuliana shook her head. “Is nothing.”

  Miss Kate jumped down, rounded the automobile, took her mysterious suitcase from the backseat, and then helped Giuliana climb down.

  For a second, Giuliana imagined herself as a wealthy lady being handed down from a motorcar by her suitor, after a Sunday afternoon trip to the beach or the Sutro Baths. Madonna, what was she thinking? They were heading for the hospital, not for a leisurely trip to Land’s End, and Miss Kate was her employer’s daughter, not her suitor. It had to be the pain making her light-headed. She tried to shake off her strange thoughts as they passed through the pillars of City Hall and entered the building.

  * * *

  As Kate held the massive door for Giuliana to enter, two policemen in their blue uniforms and helmets passed them. She gripped the carrying case with her camera more tightly, but with Giuliana’s obvious limp, they didn’t look out of place. No one stopped them as they entered the huge building.

  Kate bit back a smile. If I’d known what an effective cover this was, I would have climbed up on a chair and fallen off myself months ago.

  But Giuliana’s pained expression reminded her with every step that this wasn’t a cover. Giuliana was hurt. Kate ducked her head in shame. How horrible of her to think of this just as an opportunity to take photographs, gather newsworthy information, and prove herself to the Call’s editor. Then stubbornness reasserted itself. Why couldn’t she do both, help Giuliana and keep on the lookout for anything worth photographing?

  The nurse who greeted them once they stepped through the hospital’s entrance took one look at Giuliana’s threadbare coat and told her it could be several hours until one of the doctors had time to take a look at her ankle.

  Hours? Kate frowned at the white-gowned nurse. There didn’t seem to be that many patients around. “Are you sure?”

  The nurse turned her attention to her. “Quite sure. Are you a member of her family?”

  “I’m Kathryn Winthrop, her employer—and the person who’ll settle the bill for her medical expenses.”

  The nurse’s attitude changed immediately. “Oh. I didn’t know that, Miss Winthrop. Or is it Mrs.?”

  Kate lifted her chin and stared her down. “It’s Miss.”

  “I’ll make sure your employee is seen to right away.” The nurse bustled away.

  Kate watched her go and shook her head. Making people wait according to the amount of money in their bank account, not the severity of their injuries, just wasn’t right. Not that Giuliana was hurt that badly. Still, it rankled her.

  “You did not need to do that,” Giuliana whispered. “I can wait for the dutturi.”

  “Why would you have to? That’s no way to spend your Saturday evening.”

  “You do not need to stay. Go home. I wait alone.”

  “That wasn’t what I meant. I’ll stay and take you home once a doctor has been by to see you.”

  It wasn’t long before the nurse returned with another one.

  Kate regarded them through narrowed eyes. What was this? Were they trying to shunt Giuliana off to a nurse instead of a physician? “Oh no, you’re not going to do that,” Kate murmured, more to herself. She stepped forward and put her hands on her hips.

  Behind her, Giuliana tugged on her sleeve, but Kate shushed her. “Let me handle this. I won’t allow them to treat you like a second-class patient.” To the two nurses, she said, “I demand that she be seen by a doctor.”

  “Then it’s a good thing that I am one,” the woman behind the nurse said. She was as tall as Kate, so they faced each other on an even level. The stranger’s green eyes held Kate’s gaze calmly, not exactly challenging her, but also not flinching back. “I’m Dr. Lucy Hamilton Sharpe.”

  She held out her hand, and Kate shook it, delighted to meet another woman who had made it in a profession many thought not suitable for a female. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. That’ll teach me not to make assumptions.”

  “No offense taken,” the doctor answered. “It’s not the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last.” Frustration colored her tone, but she radiated determination.

  Kate knew exactly how Dr. Sharpe was feeling. A silent understanding passed between them. For the first time in her life, Kate felt as if she had met a kindred spirit, someone who was like her, fitting in only on the surface, but deep down very different from all the other young women.

  “So,” Dr. Sharpe said after the handshake ended, “let’s see to our patient.”

  Kate stepped aside, revealing Giuliana behind her.

&nb
sp; The doctor froze in midstep. Her eyes widened. “Miss Russo! I didn’t expect you back here so soon.”

  Giuliana gave her a small smile. “Good evening, Dr. Sharpe.”

  Frowning, Kate looked back and forth between them. “The two of you know each other?”

  They nodded, but neither revealed how they had met.

  “How have you been doing?” the doctor asked.

  She looked at Giuliana with a gentleness that started a strange, unsettling feeling deep in Kate’s gut. She had wanted a caring doctor for Giuliana, so now that she had one, why was it disturbing her?

  “I do all right,” Giuliana answered. “But I hurt my leg.”

  “Let’s get you into a private room so I can take a look without everyone watching.”

  At that moment, the door crashed open and two orderlies rushed in a woman on a gurney. Blood ran down her face and stained her elegant dress. “She’s been hit by a cable car,” one of the orderlies shouted.

  A doctor in a three-piece suit rushed in from somewhere, followed by a man Kate knew from her unsuccessful attempts to become friends with San Francisco’s newspaper people. He was a reporter from the Examiner. A minute ago, he had probably been playing cards with the physician. No photographer seemed to be around, though—except for Kate. This was her chance!

  But Dr. Sharpe had taken a hold of Giuliana’s other side and started to lead her away.

  Kate’s gaze darted back and forth between Giuliana and the patient on the gurney. When Giuliana turned her head to see why she was staying behind, Kate took a step forward. Photographing a bleeding woman who might be on the brink of death and couldn’t consent to having her picture taken wasn’t right anyway. She’d go to the cable car barn afterward and take a photograph of any damage the vehicle in question might have sustained.

  With one last glance back at the woman and the doctor bending over her, she rushed after Giuliana and Dr. Sharpe.

  They got Giuliana settled on a bed.

  Dr. Sharpe washed her hands in an enamel washbowl and dried them thoroughly. “Would you mind taking your stocking off?” she said over her shoulder. She didn’t turn to look at her patient while Giuliana followed the order and reached beneath her skirt to roll down her stocking.