THE SECRET OF THE ICE CASTLE

15: THE GIRL IN THE RED COAT

The Dana girls clambered down the grand staircase pulling on their hats and coats, and flew through the great hall and kitchens to the back entrance where they had left their boots. A startled Mrs. Benson shrank back against the cupboards as they almost plowed her over.

"Mercy me! What's going on?"

"Lorraine is out back," Louise cried, as she and Jean pulled on their boots and buttoned their coats. "We can't let her get away this time!"

"Awake the others," Jean added as she pulled open the back door. "Let them know she's here!"

The next instant they were outside, pushing through the deeply fallen new snow across the back terraces toward the abbey.

"There she is!" Jean burst out, pointing ahead.

The red-coated figure could be seen skulking about the abbey. At Jean's shout, the figure turned to look their way in surprise. Then, immediately pulling the hood tighter, the figure fled into the gardens beyond.

"Lorraine! Lorraine!" Louise cried out the name, endeavoring to hurry, but it was almost impossible to run with any speed in the deep snow.

Jean grabbed hold of her sister's arm and helped her along as they hastened on. "She's heading to the maze! Oh, if she goes in there we stand a good chance of catching up with her."

Louise wasn't so sure of that. She and Jean had never been inside the yew tree maze and weren't familiar with its paths. Lorraine might remember it from her childhood and know her way around. But she refrained from voicing this opinion. She needed every ounce of her strength just to keep on running in the deep snow.

The girl in the red coat ran past hedgerows and ornamental plants, small gardens with Greek and Roman statuary, and the beds of topiary plants all clipped to perfection in a myriad of unusual shapes and figures, and now all draped in drifts of snow. She paused at the entrance to the yew tree maze, throwing a furtive glance back at Louise and Jean, shielding her face with her hands as she did. Then, with a sudden, quick movement, she disappeared into the maze of tall evergreens.

"Lorraine!" Louise flared out as they drew near. "Don't run away. Your mom and dad want to see you!"

But no response came from the fleeing girl.

"I hope we don't lose her in here," Jean said anxiously as they arrived at the maze entrance.

On one side were two metal bowls that had obviously contained the food brought out yesterday for Chatchaat. They were licked clean and almost buried in the newly fallen snow. But the girls scarcely noticed them.

"We'll just follow her tracks," said Louise, breathing hard. "It should be no problem to catch up with her."

The yew trees that formed the maze were almost seven feet tall and towered over the girls' heads. Over the years they had been clipped to perfection into solid evergreen walls lining the paths Louise and Jean now hurried down. They made a left turn, then a right turn, then another left as they followed the newly made tracks in the freshly fallen snow drifted deeply between the rows of stately trees.

"Lorraine!" Louise called between panting breaths. "Lorraine Symington! Please stop! We won't hurt you!"

The paths went up and down and seemingly around and around as they led to the maze's center, and the girls soon had no idea in which direction they were heading. They had seen the maze from above from their bedroom window, but those quick glances had not given a true indication of its size, which now seemed overwhelming.