Shaken to the Core by Jae

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.”