AN EERIE TWIN-TOWERED CASTLE of white stone on an ice-bound island on a frozen winter lake, a nearby English manor house haunted by a flute playing ghost who roams the halls at night accompanied by a wolf, and a mysterious kidnapped girl from the p...
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The Danas celebrate a belated Christmas at Bleak Acres!
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The big wolf named Chatchaat rode along in Ned Dana's big black sedan as if he were a passenger in automobiles every day of the week. His big head moved back and forth as his eager eyes watched the snowy landscape go by, and it looked to the girls like he had a big grin on his face.
"He is very well behaved," Jean observed, sending a beaming smile back at the wolf.
"I trust he has been Lorraine's pet since he was a pup," Louise said, as she turned the car onto the highway leading to the Symington Estate. "She has trained him well."
As they approached the entrance road to Bleak Acres and Louise slowed the car, Chatchaat began to whine and his head bobbed around as if it were attached by a spring.
"He knows where he is!" Louise exclaimed, downshifting as she turned onto the estate road.
"Yes, he's been here often enough," Jean agreed. "Perhaps he thinks he will find Lorraine here."
Louise snorted in an unladylike manner. "Humphh! Wouldn't it be nice if it were that simple? Something tells me it is not going to be that easy to find Lorraine Symington."
She drove down the long road through the woods and past the house to the garages on the far back side. After parking in an out-of-the-way spot, the girls looked around to make sure no one was about before they alighted from the car. The wolf was on all fours on the back seat, his tail wagging, eager to be set free.
"What shall we do with him?" Jean asked as she walked around the car.
Louise shrugged. "We can't take him in the house, that's for sure. He's familiar with the grounds, so let's just let him out and see where he goes. McFarlane and Mirabelle will be in the big house by now, and no one else seems to be out and about."
Jean pulled open the back door of the car and the wolf jumped happily out, prancing around and yapping at them. He sniffed at the ground, pushing his nose into the snow, and then bounded away in the direction of the abbey.
Jean and Louise followed. Chatchaat ran right up to the abbey entrance, sniffing and whining and his tail wagging as if it would fly off. He turned to the girls and barked rapidly several times, then swooshed away and bounded swiftly down the path toward the woods.
"He'll probably look around for Lorraine," Louise said thoughtfully. "He was here with her just last night."
"And if she comes back tonight, they'll be reunited," Jean added. "I guess we can leave him running loose out here. I believe he is too wise an animal to bother anyone without just cause." She let out a nervous little laugh. "And now to tell the Symingtons we have brought a full-grown wolf to their estate!"
The girls went back to the car and got the shopping bags, then walked over to the back entrance and entered the mansion through the kitchens. Mrs. Benson and Mirabelle were in the main kitchen preparing the evening meal. After exchanging greetings and ascertaining that Mirabelle was doing well, Louise asked, "Where are the Symingtons and Uncle Ned and Aunt Harriet?"
