by Jae
Kate exchanged a glance with Giuliana, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. “We’ll stay and help too.”
“Help?” Lucy repeated. She let her gaze roam over Giuliana’s ripped dress and her cloth-wrapped foot. “You look like you should be lying down in one of the patient beds!”
Giuliana set her chin and straightened. “I am good. Only a little scratched. Where do we take the medicines and patients?”
Lucy seemed to think about it for several seconds. “Is the Mechanics’ Pavilion still standing?”
Kate nodded. The huge building across the street, where dances and costume balls were held, had seemed just fine.
“Then let’s take them there,” Lucy said. “It’s the only nearby building large enough to house hundreds of patients.”
“What if the door is locked?” Kate asked.
A steely glint entered Lucy’s green eyes. “Then we’ll force it open.”
For over an hour, they helped drag mattresses, operating tables, medicine chests, and enamel basins over to the Mechanics’ Pavilion. Every time Kate entered the building with another patient or another load of bandages, her gaze was drawn upward, to the red, blue, and yellow streamers dangling from the high rafters. Larger-than-life cardboard masks looked down at the nurses and volunteers who helped get the patients settled. Paper confetti littered the floor.
Lucy straightened after having checked on one of her patients and saw where Kate was looking. “Looks a little grotesque now, doesn’t it? There was a masked roller-skating contest held here last night. The winner with the best costume walked away with a thousand dollars.” She grimaced. “I was up all night, pulling splinters from the behinds of roller skaters who got intimately acquainted with the wood floor.”
Kate faced her more fully and looked her in the eyes. “Not the most pleasant task, I’m sure, but it might have saved your life.”
“Saved my life?” Lucy squinted over at her. “What the heck are you talking about?”
“One of the cots in the room where the doctors sleep…A huge piece of masonry fell on it. If the roller skaters hadn’t kept you up last night, you might have been in that bed.”
Next to her, Giuliana gasped. “What? Why did you not tell me this?”
Kate just shrugged.
Lucy’s fair complexion became even paler, but she quickly squared her shoulders and bent to check on the next patient.
A nurse rushed into the improvised hospital. “Doctor! They’re bringing in the first earthquake victims. There’s a man with a badly crushed leg. I think you’ll have to amputate.”
“Take him straight to the operation table. Did anyone apply a tourniquet?”
“I don’t think so,” the nurse answered.
A stream of curses escaped Lucy, making Kate raise her eyebrows.
Clearly, the good doctor hadn’t grown up surrounded by a mother and servants who started getting heart palpitations at the mildest curse from a woman.
“We need to act fast, or he’ll bleed to death.” Lucy strode toward the front of the building, where the operation tables had been set up. “Get the ether!”
The large double doors crashed open, and several men rushed in with a stretcher. Doctors and nurses immediately surrounded it.
Kate and Giuliana looked at each other. All patients had been evacuated and brought to the pavilion. There was nothing left they could do to help.
“Time for us to go home,” Kate said. By now, her parents were probably worried sick about her. She could only hope that their relief at having her back unharmed would make them more willing to accept Giuliana back into their household.
* * *
The cable cars weren’t running, so they had to climb up Nob Hill. With each step away from the area South of Market, the destruction lessened. Giuliana felt as if she had stepped into another world—a world in which no one had died or become homeless.
The Winthrop residence looked as dignified as always. The arched windows were intact; the granite pillars flanking the entrance hadn’t cracked, and not one cobblestone in the circular driveway was out of place. Even the stained-glass pane in the front door was unharmed, still displaying a ship sailing on a smooth ocean. Whatever slight damage the earthquake had done to Nob Hill, the residents must have already swept it away.
Had God spared the rich and sent the disaster only to the poor people on the other side of Market Street? Giuliana shook her head at herself. After nearly six years in Merica, she wanted to believe she was above the superstitious beliefs so common in Sicily. If the houses on Nob Hill had been spared, it was because they were built on firm ground and with better material than the cheap boardinghouses South of Market, not because God had wanted it that way.
When Kate opened the gate, Giuliana’s steps slowed. She stared at the front door; then her gaze veered to the back of the house, where the servants’ entrance was. Where was she supposed to go? She was no longer the Winthrops’ servant, but she also wasn’t a welcome guest.
Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Kate swung open the heavy front door.
Before Giuliana could decide whether she should follow her in, the Winthrops were upon them.
“Kate!” Mrs. Winthrop rushed down the hall and grabbed her daughter by the shoulders. “Where have you been? We’ve been frantic with worry!”
Gently, Kate freed herself of her mother’s grip. “I’m fine, Mother.”
“Fine? You call that fine?” Mrs. Winthrop pressed both hands to her mouth as she took in Kate’s appearance. “Your opera dress is ruined. And your good shoes…merciful heavens! What were you thinking?”
Mr. Winthrop shouldered past his wife. “Stop rambling about the dress and let the girl come in, Millicent. Can’t you see she’s hurt?”
He might have been the one to kick Giuliana out of the house, but he earned instant points with her by caring more about Kate than about her clothes.
His wife gasped. “Hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Kate said again, hiding her hands behind her back. “Which is more than can be said about the south of the city. A lot of houses were knocked off their foundations or entirely collapsed.”
“What were you doing in that part of the city?” Her mother tsked and shook her head. “A young lady has no business being anywhere near a dangerous place like that. You should have stayed home, where it’s safe.”
Kate’s father stared past her, directly at Giuliana. “I think I have a pretty good idea what she was doing there.”
Visibly stiffening her spine, Kate stepped to the side and held out a hand to usher Giuliana forward.
A lump formed in Giuliana’s throat as the Winthrops stared at her. She wanted to take cover behind Kate’s back but forced herself to remain where she was and face them without fidgeting. “Hello,” was all she got out.
“Kate, really,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “I hardly think—”
“Her boardinghouse collapsed, Mother. If she hadn’t lived on the top floor, she would have been crushed to death or burned alive. She barely made it out as it is. She’s probably scratched and bruised all over, and she lost all her earthly possessions. Would you really have me leave her behind without a place to turn to?” Kate stared down her parents until even Mrs. Winthrop looked away.
“I suppose we can put her up for one night,” Mrs. Winthrop finally said. “What do you think, Cornelius?”
Giuliana held her breath until he nodded.
“You’d better go and make yourself presentable,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “The Bakers will be over shortly. We invited them for breakfast.”
They were having breakfast with the neighbors as if nothing had happened? Giuliana gaped at her.
“Come on.” Kate gripped her elbow and pulled her to the staircase.
Biddy was just descending the stairs. When she caught sight of Giuliana, she froze and clutched the mahogany banister. “You!” It sounded like a squeak. Her mouselike face made her look as if she were about to bite Giuliana. “What are you doing here?
”
What could she say to that? Giuliana didn’t really know what she was doing in the Winthrop residence either.
“She’s here as my guest,” Kate said, not unkindly, but with a hint of steel in her voice. Before Biddy could answer, she pulled Giuliana past Biddy to the bathroom. “Why don’t you get cleaned up? I’ll get you something to wear.”
The door fell shut behind her, leaving Giuliana alone in the tiled bathroom. Other than to clean it, she’d never been in this luxurious room before. After having the boardinghouse collapse on top of her, nearly burning alive, and then lugging mattresses across Larkin Street, the thought of washing up made her groan with pleasure. Her skin and hair reeked of smoke and sweat. Maybe she could even wash her hair if she was quick about it and didn’t waste too much warm water.
She slipped out of her dress, kicked off her shoe, and rolled her ruined stockings down her legs. The cloth around her left foot had gotten lost halfway up Nob Hill, so she now stood on the tiles in just her drawers and a chemise. Both were soaked through with sweat, but at least they were free of soot and bloodstains, so they’d have to do.
A glance in the mirror above the washbasin made her stare back at her reflection. No wonder the Winthrops had hesitated to let her into the house. She looked awful! Her hair was almost gray from the plaster dust. Flakes of paint and wood splinters stuck out of it. Soot and dirt stained her face, except for where beads of sweat had left track marks as they’d dribbled down her temples. Her forehead was crusted with dried blood.
The rest of her didn’t look much better. Tiny cuts crisscrossed her knees, and the larger cut on her palm still smarted. She had no doubt that she’d be black and blue all over tomorrow. Gently, she pressed against her shins and ankles, where beams had trapped her. Everything hurt, but it seemed to be just bruises, scrapes, and light burns, nothing worse. She’d been very lucky.
A knock at the door interrupted her scrutiny. At her “come in,” Kate slipped into the bathroom. She kept her gaze on Giuliana’s face and held out a stack of clothing. “Here.”
Giuliana accepted it gratefully. Only now did she realize that Kate looked nearly as bad as she did. Her hair wasn’t quite as gray with plaster dust, but her dress was in tatters and her normally elegant, upswept hair had come undone so that her tresses fell loosely onto her back, giving her a wild look.
Bella. Beautiful. The thought startled Giuliana, but it was true. Even scratched, with soot stains on her face and smoke clinging to her, Kate was more beautiful than all the young, wealthy ladies Giuliana had met so far.
Kate grinned at her. “We look a sight, don’t we?”
“What do you mean? This is the new fashion in Paris, no?” Giuliana answered, using the haughty tone she’d often heard from Mrs. Winthrop and her friends. As soon as she’d said it, she lifted a hand to her mouth. What if Kate thought she was making fun of her mother? She and Kate might have been through a lot together, but it still wasn’t her place to—
Kate chuckled. “It’s fine,” she said as if guessing her panicked thoughts. She pointed at the bundle of clothes she’d given Giuliana. “I hope these fit. They’re loose on me, so…” A slight blush crept up her neck.
“They are good,” Giuliana said. “Thank you.”
With the bundle of clothes between them and Giuliana still in just her underclothes, they looked at each other.
“Uh, I should…” Kate pointed over her shoulder.
Giuliana nodded and watched her go. Exhaling, she turned back to the washbasin, twisted the handle, and held her hands under the faucet, eager to get clean.
Water trickled out, but before Giuliana could even wash her face, the stream petered out and then stopped. What was that? She closed the faucet and opened it again.
Nothing. Two drops of water splashed onto the porcelain; that was all.
She dried her hands on a towel and reached for the doorknob. “Kate?” she called quietly. Or should she call her Miss Kate now that her parents might be able to overhear? But somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to go back to that.
The door to Kate’s bedroom opened. “Yes?”
“The water is gone.”
Kate hastened over to her. She opened the faucet with the same result and then tried the claw-foot tub, which Giuliana hadn’t thought to check.
No water there either.
Mrs. Winthrop ascended the stairs. “What’s the matter? Why aren’t you getting washed up and changed?”
“Because there’s no water,” Kate said, grim-faced. “The earthquake must have broken the water mains. It was the same thing on Sixth Street.”
“But…but how are we supposed to bathe without water?”
“That’s not the worst problem the city is facing, Mother. How are the firemen supposed to fight the fires without water?”
Her mother tsked. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure the city planners have thought of such an emergency. You don’t have to concern yourself with such considerations.” She threw a glance at Giuliana, who peeked out of the bathroom, hiding her half-undressed body behind the door. “Mrs. Tretow just arrived. I’ll tell her to bring up whatever water she might have in the kitchen.”
When she turned and descended the stairs, Kate and Giuliana looked at each other.
Giuliana wanted to shrug it off the same way Mrs. Winthrop had, but the ball of worry in her belly wouldn’t dissolve. What if the water mains were broken not just on Sixth Street and up here on Nob Hill but all over the city?
* * *
By the time Giuliana had finished washing up, the water in the basin Mrs. Tretow had brought up had turned a rusty brown color. She laid out on the oak commode the clothing Kate had given her. A tired smile formed on her lips. She had always wanted to wear a shirtwaist. What a way to get her wish!
She slipped her arms into the crisp, white fabric. The shirtwaist was a little snug in the hips and chest, and she had to leave the high collar unbuttoned, but it still felt wonderful to wear it.
The brown skirt seemed to be part of Kate’s motoring outfit. On Kate, it had been so short that she had earned a tongue-lashing from her mother, but it fit Giuliana just right.
Black wool stockings and a pair of simple lace-up shoes completed her outfit. She wriggled her toes, relieved to find that the shoes weren’t pinching.
When she was dressed, she tied the drawstring pouch back around her waist, slipped the pendant watch out from under the shirtwaist, and put it in the pouch so the Winthrops wouldn’t see it.
Her reflection in the mirror made her stare, this time for a different reason. She had combed the plaster dust from her hair, and now she almost didn’t recognize herself in the looking glass. Don’t get any ideas. While she might look like one of the rich ladies—despite the cut on her forehead—it was just an illusion.
Careful not to spill any of the dirty water on her fine clothes, she poured it down the drain and carried the empty basin downstairs to see if there was more water for Kate.
“Oh, there you are,” Mrs. Winthrop said as soon as she set foot into the hall. “Hank hasn’t come to work yet, so I need you to help Mrs. Tretow with the biscuits, or they’ll never be ready by the time the Bakers arrive.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Giuliana was already halfway to the kitchen by the time she remembered that she no longer worked for the Winthrops. Apparently, Mrs. Winthrop hadn’t remembered either—or she didn’t know how to relate to Giuliana other than to order her around.
When she entered the kitchen, Mrs. Tretow was pulling a pan of biscuits from the oven. She set them down to cool off and let her gaze run over Giuliana. “Heavens. You look like something the cat dragged in!”
Cat? What cat? Giuliana decided that it most likely was one of the colorful American sayings, so she didn’t ask.
“She looks all high and mighty, if you ask me,” a voice came from behind Giuliana.
She whirled around.
Biddy was blocking the doorway.
Giuliana lifted both ha
nds in a placating gesture. “I almost was killed when the house fell on me. I do not want more trouble. I only came to help with the biscuits.”
“Wearing my shoes?” Biddy pointed down.
“W-what?” Giuliana settled the folds of the skirt over the black leather shoes she was wearing. She’d assumed that they were Kate’s, but they probably didn’t wear the same size, so Kate must have given her a pair of Biddy’s. Giuliana sighed. Just what she hadn’t wanted: more trouble. “I did not know. If you need them, I can give them to you, Biddy.”
“Let her have the shoes,” Mrs. Tretow said. “I hear things are pretty bad where she lives. She probably lost everything.”
Biddy shook her head without a hint of compassion. “Too bad. She can’t have anything of mine—not my shoes and sure as heck not my position!”
“Is there something wrong with the biscuits?”
Mrs. Winthrop’s voice made them all jump. Biddy immediately gave up her confrontational stance and hastened to get out of the way.
“No, ma’am,” Mrs. Tretow answered. “They’re right here, just waiting to be served.”
Mrs. Winthrop gave a satisfied nod. “Good. You…Julie, start serving breakfast in the morning room. Obedience, you go up and bring Kate some hot water. Tell her to wear something nice. George Baker might accompany his parents.”
After one last glare at Giuliana, Biddy went to do her employer’s bidding.
This wasn’t over, though; Giuliana knew that. Biddy wouldn’t be happy until she got Giuliana thrown out of the house a second time. Sighing, Giuliana went to set the table in the morning room.
* * *
When Kate stepped out of her bedroom, feeling like a new woman in clean clothes, there was no sign of Giuliana anywhere. Dread crept up her spine. Her parents hadn’t kicked her out while Kate had been cleaning up and pulling the splinters from her hands, had they?
She rushed down the stairs—and nearly collided with Giuliana, who was carrying a basket full of biscuits. Kate gripped her elbow, keeping them both upright, and realized distractedly how good and normal it felt to touch her in this small way. “What are you doing?”
