The Keepers

Chapter 10

The girl wasn't going to give up so easily. Sam had promised not to tell on her, and if the butler wanted to let Donatella know of her absence, he would have already alerted the woman. There was very little risk – what could be a worse punishment than being locked up like she already was? – and the possibility of a large reward: going home.

Because it had almost worked once, Josie had to try running away again.

After putting the worn book on a side table, she tiptoed to the window and slowly opened it. Taking even more measured steps than before to escape, she made it to the ground without falling. Only when her feet touched the cold, hard ground did the girl realize she'd forgotten to put her shoes back on.

With a sigh, Josie looked up at the second story window and shook her head. There was no going back now; she'd have to go just in her stocking feet.

Automatically turning in the direction Sam had led her, Josie ran a few steps before stopping. Something deep inside her told her to go the other way. As if on cue, a raven flew out of the adjacent forest and began circling overhead.

Ca-caw. Ca-caw. It cried out like a guard dog warning its master of an intrusion.

No longer thinking, but rather reacting to the threat of discovery, Josie began to retreat. Stumbling in her haste, she fell backwards and landed on her bottom. The bird stopped as well, perching on an unlit gas lantern on the manor's wall. Tilting its head, the raven gazed down at Josie as if waiting for her next move.

Conscious of every wasted moment, the girl shivered as she jumped to her feet and ran toward the conservatory. Slowing only when she reached the clear glass wall, Josie crouched behind a row of sleek, white flowers.

She knew calla lilies well; the cone-shaped flowers were on many paintings and mosaics in the churches Josie visited with Mother. The girl frowned. Although she strongly disliked attending Holy Eucharist – and often Morning Prayer, as well as Evening Prayer – she greatly missed Mother's company.

Movement inside the winter garden stopped Josie's reminiscing and made her hunch down even further. Slowly peeking over the lilies, she saw Donatella's familiar sleek figure inside.

The woman wore gloves that ran up to her elbows and a wide brimmed hat. Walking on the narrow path between the various plants, she occasionally stopped to nip off a wilted bud or prune a dead twig.

Ca-caw. The raven broke its momentary silence, pushing off from the perch with its wiry black legs. Swooping overhead, it disappeared into the conservatory through the open hatch.

Josie bit her lip. She could still double-back the other way, but that was now the long way round the manor. Taking a deep breath, she waited for Donatella to turn her back before making a dash around the conservatory.

Both her legs and back ached as she scurried in a crouching position. Leaving the transparent structure behind, Josie leaned against the manor's brick wall to catch her breath.

She'd made it. From this vantage point, she expected to see the stone fence with its iron bars at the front of the property. Looking around, however, Josie was faced with nothing, but the dead forest.

Balling her hands into fists at her sides in frustration, Josie tried to remain calm. It didn't help. The girl knew she should have just gone in the original direction. That silly bird made her question her intentions and led her on the wrong path. And no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't turn around. She'd risked too much already to be discovered now.

If the only way to go was through the forest, then that was exactly what she had to do. Taking one more deep breath to boost her courage, Josie stepped away from the wall and ran toward an abandoned path between the trees.