The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

Rain sets in the day after the Garden Club disaster, and the sisters are bored and worried about Jeffrey. Jane has a cold, and Rosalind sends her to bed. Jeffrey arrives at the cottage with word that his mother and Dexter are in Vermont for the day and suggests that they play at his house. Rosalind stays to read her Civil War book and watch over Jane, while Skye and Batty go to Arundel Hall with Jeffrey. He takes them to the music room to teach Skye how to play the piano. The large grand piano intimidates her, and Skye asks if they can use the smaller one in his room, but the music room piano has a bench, so Jeffrey can sit next to her and provide instruction. He explains that learning an instrument is like math. Skye is good at math, but when she tried to learn the clarinet, it was too difficult. Jeffrey says notes are like fractions and plays scales to illustrate the progressions. Batty interrupts the lesson multiple times, asking if she can play with various things in the room like the couch cushions, the brass fire screen, and a set of stone animals, and Jeffrey says she can do whatever she wants.