The Penderwicks in Spring (33 page)

“Nope. Wait—I think—Batty, it’s him! He’s here! Mr. and Mrs. Geiger are coming outside!”

Scrambling off the piano bench, Batty shouted for Jane and their parents, then whistled, softly but with a certainty of being heard and obeyed. A big fluff of brown, with a plumed tail at back and at front a blunt nose and large, goofy eyes, rose up from his place beside the couch.

“Good boy, Feldspar,” she said.

Feldspar sniffed at a second dog, emerging from behind the couch, this one sleek and gray, impossible to imagine as Feldspar’s mother were it not for the eyes, just as silly on her as they were on him.

“Good girl, Sonata,” said Batty. “You’re finally going to meet Nick.”

Sonata looked worshipfully at Batty, her master, her everything, but with doubts about meeting Nick. She’d been half wild when the Penderwicks brought her home from the animal shelter, unwilling to separate her from Feldspar, her runt and the last of her litter. Though no longer wild, she still flinched from new situations.

“You’ll be fine.” Batty laid her hand gently on Sonata’s head, soothing her. “I’m with you.”

They went out into the hallway, where the others were gathering, excited and flustered. Mr. Penderwick had forgotten his shoes, and Lydia her crown, though that had been happening more and more lately, as she was at long last moving out of her princess phase.

“We’re all here?” asked Jane. “Father, mother, three sisters, one brother, two dogs?”

“Gato,”
said Lydia.

“No, Asimov, you can’t come.” Iantha shut away the disgruntled cat, who’d fallen in love with Sonata and believed he should be able to go wherever she went.

Ben was jumping up and down like a yo-yo. “Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!”

“A little more calm, please,” said Mr. Penderwick.

“We’re all set now,” said Iantha. “Ready?”

Batty grabbed two dog collars.

“Go!” exploded Ben.

Jane threw open the front door and out poured the Penderwicks, racing across Gardam Street to welcome home their hero.