A Cat Called Kat

Chapter Eighteen - La Governante

I quickly threw some clothes on and Giulia managed to unwedge the door then she led me across the corridor to the little servant's door and, from here, a simple staircase took us to a long twisty corridor with rooms off on either side. I'd never thought about it before but I guess this was why you hardly ever saw maids and people wandering around the downstairs bit of the house. They had their own hidden way of getting around.

We turned a corner and we found ourselves looking down on the ballroom at the front of the house through a little window... then we passed a couple more... I couldn't really imagine what they were for - maybe to let the servants watch what was going on down there.

Another stretch of narrow corridor led us to a series of storerooms and at last Giulia paused at a door. She knocked and, when she was asked to come in, she hesitated again. Then she opened the door and basically shoved me inside first, before following on behind... more or less trying to hide behind me.

I was slightly surprised to find myself in an oversized linen cupboard with shelves of sheets and towels and tablecloths and so on. There were also a couple of glass-fronted cupboards which held the Family's fine silverware. I'd seen the stuff at a couple of the grand meals at Christmas and things.

And set in one corner there was a desk and a couple of filing cabinets and bookshelves and things and, sitting at the desk, was La Governante.

She was a large and impressive lady. I'd never really had anything to do with her but I knew from Terri that she ran the household with an iron fist. She rose to her feet to greet me but, without saying a word, she managed to make it quite clear that I did not belong up here.

"Excuse me for disturbing you," I said in English. I could tell she sort of half-way understood but I looked to Giulia to translate for us. I certainly didn't want any misunderstandings here, "but there is an urgent matter that concerns the safety and wellbeing of the girls under your charge."

That was enough to make La Governante turn off her 'disapproving of me being there' thing. Her face turned serious and she said, "Please... sitting."

She sat too but, even though there was a spare chair, Giulia remained standing with her hands clasped nervously in front of her.

"Tell La Governante what happened," I told her firmly.

And, even though she couldn't quite contain her tears, Giulia managed to do a reasonable job of telling the story.

"Did you do anything that might be seen as encouraging this?" the older woman asked in Italian when she was done. Her eyes had this burning intensity about them and I doubt whether I could have lied if she had been talking to me. Giulia would have had no chance.

"No, Ma'am. We all try and stay out of his way as much as we can."

"So this sort of thing has happened before to you or the other new girls?"

"Sometimes... but nothing like as bad as this, Ma'am."

La Governante steepled her hands in front of her and basically stared into space for what felt like a very long time. "Thank you for coming to tell me this," she said at last. Her voice was calm though it was easy to see the fury in her eyes. "I will take appropriate steps."

Giulia translated for me and I gave her an encouraging smile. "Please would you leave us now," I told her. "I need to talk to La Governante in private. I understand that you are curious," I added, "but, for your own safety, you are not to listen at the door. There are some things that you are safer not knowing just yet."

I met her eye and basically forced her to say, "Yes, Miss." She did her little curtsey thing and this time I didn't try to stop her. Then I waited until she had vanished and the door had closed behind her.