Vicki felt discomfited. Granted that Mrs. Heath wanted an isolated place in which to write her book; still, did the two women have to isolate themselves so rigidly?
“Well, we might as well go,” said Mrs. Potter.
They made a cautious descent down the narrow, steep road. The Potters drove Vicki back to the spot where she had parked the plane. They would not hear of accepting the payment she offered, and said good-by.
She waited until the Potters drove safely off the back road. Then she got into the Cessna, taxied as far as the road permitted, and took off. In the air she figured out a route which would take her clear of the jutting hillside, yet bring her over the house.
Within sight of the wall and the house, the fast plane rolled a little when Vicki overcontrolled it to fly more slowly. First she followed the wall, to get her bearings in relation to the house and road, and to look for a possible place to land.
She was surprised to see that the property covered quite a bit of acreage. The far end of it was hilly woods, but this led into a long, fairly level stretch of meadow which would afford a landing area. The meadow led up to the house.
Before she knew it, Vicki had flown over the house, which was not very large. She had to circle around and fly back for a better look. The house was rather rustic and long and low. It was not far from the road behind the wall. A garden surrounded it in front and on both sides.
But the most interesting thing she saw below was two women working in the garden on the sunny south side of the house. One woman was gray-haired. The other figure was a girl’s, with brown hair; she had thrown around her shoulders a bulky green woolen scarf like the scarf in the portrait.
“Lucy!” Vicki thought in excitement. “There’s Lucy Rowe! I’ve found her.”
In the instant that Vicki flew over them, they looked up at the plane which had now flown past twice. Vicki thought, “Won’t they be astonished when I land inside their wall!”