Jeanne Birdsall - The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

CONTENTS

For David, Amy, and Tim

PROLOGUE

T HEIR MOTHER HAD BEEN HERE in the hospital with the new baby for almost a week. Though the three little Penderwick girls had been to visit her every daysometimes twice a dayit wasnt enough. They wanted her to come home.

When, Mommy? asked Jane, the youngest of the three.

Youve asked her five times already, and she doesnt know. Rosalind was the oldest and felt the responsibility of it deeply, though she was only eight. May I hold Batty, Aunt Claire?

Aunt Claire, their fathers sister, carefully handed the baby over to Rosalind, who thought that holding babies was one of the great joys of life, even when the baby was asleep and didnt know she was being held.

Mommy, can you at least come home for a visit? You dont need to bring the baby with you. Skye was the sister between Rosalind and Jane, and the only one who had inherited their mothers blond hair and blue eyes. The other two had their fathersand Aunt Clairesdark curls and brown eyes. And while the baby so far had only fuzz, it looked like she was going to be dark, too.

When I come home, honey, Im afraid Battys coming with me, said their mother, laughing. Then she stopped laughing and pressed her hands to her side.

The gift shop! said Aunt Claire, jumping out of her chair. Why dont you three go to the gift shop and get yourselves treats?

We dont have any money, said Jane.

Ill give you money. Aunt Claire pulled a bill from her wallet and handed it to Skye. Rosalind, better leave Batty here. Shes still too young for the gift shop.

Maybe we can get her a present, anyway. Rosalind reluctantly laid the baby into the white bassinet beside her mothers bed.

Theres not enough money for her, too, said Skye.

Manners! said her mother.

But Aunt Claire smiled and handed several more bills to Skye. Now get going, my greedy pirates!

Aunt Claire was that most perfect kind of relativeshe loved and understood children but had none of her own to take attention away from nieces. So the sisters didnt mind when she called them names. Indeed, Skye seemed proud of being called a pirate, heading off to the gift shop with a bold, seafaring strut. Rosalind took Janes hand and followed less boisterously, saying hello along the way to the many nurses theyd befriended during the week.

The shop was just up the hall and around the cornerthe girls knew the way, for theyd been there many times, but never with so much money. Aunt Claire had been generous. There was enough for each girl to get at least a small treasure. Skye went straight to the watches, for shed been yearning for a black one. Jane looked at everythingshe always didthen ended up at the dolls, just as she always did. Rosalind picked out a stuffed black dog for Batty, then headed over to the jewelry case. Her best friend, Anna, had just gotten a new turquoise ring, and Rosalind thought nothing would be better than to have one like it.

When she got to the jewelry, her eye was drawn not to the rings, though, but to a delicate gold necklace with five dangling heartsthe largest one in the middle, with two smaller hearts on either side. She looked at the price, did a quick calculation on her fingers, did it again to make sure, then called her sisters over.

We should buy that necklace for Mommy, she said.

It would take up all of the money we have. Skye had already strapped a black watch onto her wrist.

I know, but Mommy would love it. The big heart is her, and the four little ones are us three and the baby.

This ones me, said Jane, pointing to one of the small hearts. Rosalind, is Mommy still sick?

Yes.

Because of Batty?

Because of the cancer, answered Rosalind. She hated that word, cancer. Remember how Daddy explained it to us? But shes going to get better soon.

Of course she is, said Skye fiercely. Daddy said the doctors are doing everything they can, and theyre the best doctors in the universe.

All right, said Jane. I vote we buy Mommy the necklace.

Rats. Skye disappeared, then came back without the watch and with a saleslady who put the necklace in a box with a bow on top.

Rosalind was now anxious to get back to her mother and Batty. Skye and Jane, though, had spotted their favorite nurse, Ruben, who always had time to give them a wheelchair ride. Knowing theyd be safe with Ruben, Rosalind hurried back down the hall, slowing down only when she got to the right room. But instead of going in, she hung back, for she could hear her mother and aunt murmuring togetherand it sounded like one of those conversations grown-ups had when children werent supposed to be around. It wasnt bad manners to listen, Rosalind knew, because the murmuring was too low to be understood. But then the two women raised their voices, and Rosalind couldnt help understanding every word.

No, Lizzy, no, Aunt Claire was saying. Its too soon to talk about this. It sounds like youve given up.

You know Ill never give up until theres no hope left, Claire. Please just promise me that if I dont make it, youll give Martin my letter in three or four years. You know hes too shy to start dating without encouragement, and I just cant bear to think of him being lonely.

Hell have the girls.

And someday theyll grow up and

The sentence was broken off, for Ruben had arrived with Skye and Jane squashed into a wheelchair, squealing and giggling. They tumbled out and ran into the room while Rosalind followed more slowly, trying to puzzle out what shed heard. What did her mother mean about not making it? And why would her father be dating? She felt so cold inside she was shivering, which only got worse as she saw Aunt Claire sliding a blue envelope into her pocket. Was that the letter her mother had mentioned?

Skye and Jane were so noisily excited about the wheelchair ride and about handing over the necklace, and then their mother was so pleased with the necklace and looked so lovely wearing it, that no one noticed that Rosalind was off to one side, pale and quiet. And then, too soon, a nurse arrived with a frightening-looking cart and made it clear that mother and baby both needed their rest. Reluctantly, the girls kissed their mother good-bye.

Rosalind took her turn last. Ill see you tomorrow, Mommy, she whispered. Maybe by then shed have the right questions to askabout hope, about Daddy being lonely, and about that scary blue letter.

But Rosalind never got to ask her questions, and soon theyd been pushed aside and forgotten, for when tomorrow came, her mother was suddenly getting weaker instead of stronger. Despite the best efforts by the best doctors, within a week hope ran out altogether. Elizabeth Penderwick had enough time to say good-bye to her husband and girls one unbearable evening, but only just enough. She died before dawn the next morning, with baby Batty nestled, calm and quiet, in her arms.

CHAPTER ONE

Rosalind Bakes a Cake

F OUR YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS LATER

Rosalind was happy. Not the kind of passionate, thrilling happy that can quickly turn into disappointment, but the calm happy that comes when life is steadily going along just the way it should. Three weeks earlier, shed started seventh grade at the middle school, which was turning out not to be as overwhelming as rumored, mostly because she and her best friend, Anna, shared all the same classes. And it was late September, and the leaves were on the verge of bursting into wild colorsRosalind adored autumn. And it was a Friday afternoon, and although school was all right, who doesnt like weekends better?