“Thank you so much for the Fimbriata. I'll take care of it forever. And thank you for bringing Yaz and Carla. Batty desperately wanted to say good-bye to them.” Just as I desperately wanted to say good-bye to you. It was on Rosalind's face, but she didn't say it.
“Well, really it was Yaz's idea.” Cagney took a carrot out of his pocket and let Batty feed it to the rabbits.
Over his shoulder, Rosalind could see her father returning, and now she heard Skye and Jane's voices— they were headed back, too. Take courage, Rosy, she thought, this is your last chance to act mature. “And please say good-bye to your—to Kathleen, and thank her for me.”
“Who?”
What did he mean, who? “You know, the girl who helped pull me out of the pond.”
“Oh, Kathleen, that didn't work out. She wasn't easy to talk to, not like you. Hold on to that skill, Rosy, for when you're old enough to care about boys. They'll appreciate it.”
Suddenly he was leaning over her and planting a light kiss on the top of Rosalind's head. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she thought, Finally something wonderful to tell Anna, until she opened her eyes again and saw that he was kissing Batty before strolling away toward Skye and Jane. Probably to kiss them, too! I'll be lucky if he doesn't kiss Daddy and Hound before he's done. Well, at least I'm the only one with a rosebush.
“Why do you look so funny?” said Batty.
“I don't.”
“Yes, you do. Like you're going to laugh and cry at the same time.”
Rosalind carefully stowed her Fimbriata on the floor of the car, where she'd be able to watch over it during the ride to Cameron. “I'm just glad to be going home, that's all.”
A few minutes later, all the Penderwicks were back in the car, once more waving good-bye.
“Good-bye, Cagney,” said Mr. Penderwick. “Thanks for all the plant talks.”
“Good-bye, Yaz and Carla,” said Batty. “I love you.”
“Good-bye, Jeffrey, darn-it-all-where-are-you-even-Cagney-doesn't-have-a-clue?” said Skye.
“Good-bye, sanity, because not knowing is driving me crazy,” said Jane.
Rosalind waved and smiled one last time to Cagney— farewell!—then smoothed out the map. “Stafford Street, where's Stafford Street,” she muttered, then realized she was holding the silly thing upside down. With much rustling, she flipped it and—
“Daddy, stop!” Skye shouted from the backseat. “It's Churchie!”
And there was Churchie, jogging toward them through the trees. She burst out into the open, waving her arms, just as Mr. Penderwick once more stepped hard on the brakes. The whole family was out of the car in an instant, running to meet her.
“Churchie, Churchie!” Jane and Batty threw themselves at her, while Skye danced impatiently in circles.
“Jeffrey, what's happened to Jeffrey?”
Churchie was too winded for anything but huffing and panting until everyone thought they'd explode with not knowing. Finally she managed, “Thank goodness I caught you. Oh, my beautiful girls, I'm going to miss you so.”
“But, Churchie—Jeffrey—” said Skye.
“I know, dear. Just hold on and he'll tell you himself in a jiffy. He cut through the hedge to the cottage in case you hadn't left and sent me this way in case you had—and here he comes. I can hear him shouting.”
Now they could hear him, too, yelling STOP and WAIT and PLEASE, and then they could see him— what joy!—rounding the curve, his legs moving so fast they were a blur. Like lightning, the four girls were off and running toward him, and a moment later Jeffrey had disappeared under a pile of Penderwicks. When he came up for air, he was laughing and talking as fast as he could. “I'm sorry I'm late, but Mother just made the phone call to the school this morning, and they said yes and—”
“Hold on!” Skye waved her arms in front of his face.
“Start again,” said Rosalind.
He smiled around at them. “Everything's okay now.”
“Jeffrey!” That was Jane, frantic with curiosity.
He paused and now he was teasing them. At last he said, “I don't ever have to go to Pencey.”
The cheering was so loud and long that—as Churchie swore later—the Arundel birds fled and didn't come back until the next spring. When the Penderwicks' throats finally gave out, Jeffrey started over at the beginning. “After we went back to the house yesterday, Dexter wanted me to go to my room, but Mother said she wanted to talk. So we talked and then she cried, and we talked and she cried and that went on forever. Then Dexter went home and Mother and I talked some more, and you were right, Rosalind. I was finally able to make her understand about Pencey, and that was great, and she even said I never had to go to West Point if I didn't want to. And then we started to talk about Dexter—” Jeffrey's smile faded a little.
“She's still marrying him?” said Skye.
He nodded. “It could be worse, I guess.”
“She could be marrying a serial killer.”
“Or a werewolf,” said Jane.
“Or a—” Batty couldn't think of anything worse than a werewolf.
“Anyway, I told Mother if she's going to marry him, I really would prefer to go to that boarding school in Boston—you know, the one I told you about—and this morning she called them and they'll take me in September as long as it turns out I'm not a complete moron, and Mother promised she'd drive me to Boston herself, just me and her, without Dexter. And wait! I haven't told you the best part!” Jeffrey held up his palm for high fives all around. “She said I'm allowed to take a music class at the conservatory! Just one class for now, but it's a beginning, right?”
“Oh, yes! Oh, yes!” they all shouted, and if any Arundel birds had stayed behind after the last outburst, they surely left now Jane and Batty couldn't stop hopping up and down, and Skye kept tossing both her and Jeffrey's camouflage hats into the air, and Rosalind went so far as to kiss Jeffrey on the cheek, there having been so much kissing already that day. Then Mr. Penderwick, after getting the good news in a calmer fashion from Churchie, came over and shook Jeffrey's hand and slapped him on the back, and then Churchie started to cry, and then Jane started to cry, and then Batty, and when even Skye started to cry, it really was time to go home. So for the third time, the Penderwicks loaded themselves into the car, but this time with light hearts and consciences and the glad relief that comes with happy endings.
Skye rolled down her window and Jeffrey leaned in. Churchie stood behind him, her hand affectionately on his shoulder.
“We're going to miss you, Jeffrey,” said Jane.
“We'll visit him in Boston,” said Rosalind.
“And I'll visit you in Cameron,” said Jeffrey.
“Just remember, if you don't, I'll kill you,” said Skye.
“I'll remember,” said Jeffrey. “Good-bye, Hound. Stay out of trouble.”
Hound wagged his tail cheerfully. Just thinking about trouble made him happy.
“Okay, everybody, let's go,” said Mr. Penderwick. “Good-bye, Jeffrey. Congratulations again and the very best of luck!”
“Good-bye! Good-bye!” said everyone.
And off they went again, down the long driveway. Well, off they went for about twenty yards, anyway. Because by then Batty was pleading with her father to stop the car just one last time, that she had something to do.
“What is it, Batty?” said Rosalind.
“Something very important. Please stop, Daddy. It won't take long.”
So Mr. Penderwick stopped and Jane let Batty out her side. Everyone hung out their windows to watch Batty run back toward the cottage, calling to Jeffrey. He walked forward to meet her.
“What's she up to?” said Skye.
“She's telling him something,” said Jane.
“He looks surprised,” said Rosalind.
“Oh, oh, oh, oh—do you see what she's doing?” said Jane.
“She's—I can't believe this—she's taking off her wings and giving them to Jeffrey!” said Skye.
“My wise little Batty,” said Mr. Penderwick. “Maxima debetur puellae reverentia.”
With that, there was nothing left to say. They all sat in silence while Batty trotted back, climbed in over Jane, and settled in her seat.
“Now we can go,” said Batty.
“But, Batty, your wings,” said Rosalind.
“I told Jeffrey he could borrow them.”
“What did he say?” said Skye.
“He said thank you.”
“Nothing else?”
“Yes, he said good-bye for now.”
“That's nice,” said Jane. “I like that.”
“Hound, say good-bye for now,” said Batty.
“Woof!” said Hound.
Then they were gone.
Published by Yearling, an imprint of Random House Children's Books a division of Random House, Inc., New York
Text copyright © 2005 by Jeanne Birdsall
Illustrations copyright © 2005 by David Frankland
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eISBN: 978-0-307-54134-5
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