Lydia was not a flower girl. She was a bridesmaid. That was important, Rosalind had explained to her. All the other kids her age might be flower girls or ring bearers, but Lydia was the bride's sister, and so she was more important than a mere flower girl.
She was sitting in the backseat of her parents' car as they drove to Arundel. Her brother Ben was messing around with his video camera and filming bits of the Berkshire scenery out the window.
Her mother was gazing out and wondering aloud when exactly they were going to arrive. Her father was driving. And they were lost. Her mom's phone didn't even have service so they couldn't look the address up on the phone.
"We got lost the last time too," Mr. Penderwick said. He chuckled to himself. He really seemed to find the whole thing amusing.
Lydia was not amused. She wanted to get there already so she could see Rosalind, the bride-to-be and Skye, the shocking other bride-to-be. And Jane and Batty the other bridesmaids. Jane had told Lydia over the phone that her dress was perfect. Jane had said it was the loveliest shade of pink.
"People always want to put a redhead in pink," Iantha had quipped.
Iantha, Lydia and Ben were the only Penderwicks with red hair. Lydia was proud of her hair and how it curled just like her mother's.
Her hair, Lydia believed, was just as nice as Rosalind's.
Rosie, Tommy, Jane, Batty and Skye had all arrived the day before. Jeffrey had met them there to help clean the house and set everything up.
Lydia couldn't wait to join them. She knew every story about Arundel by heart – the bull in the field (although they reported that bull was long gone and replaced by sheep), Batty accidentally letting the rabbits out of the carriage house, and Hound ruining the garden committee competition.
It was a great sadness to Lydia that they wouldn't be staying in the mythical yellow cottage of yore, but in the mansion itself. With Mrs. Tifton no longer in residence, there were plenty of rooms for everyone, and no one to stop them.
Of course Mrs. Tifton would attend the wedding itself. Jeffrey could never not invite his own mother. Her mom was a bit worried about the whole thing since Mrs. Tifton disapproved of Skye and the Penderwicks in general. Lydia didn't understand how anyone could disapprove of Skye. She was brilliant and brave and beautiful.
Lydia had also heard her parents whispering to each other about the inevitable tension between Mrs. Tifton and Alec. Lydia didn't know the details, but she knew that Alec and Mrs. Tifton had once been married. They weren't anymore. In fact, Mrs. Tifton had several other ex-husbands.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter," her father had said. "As long as Skye is happy."
"Agreed," her mom had said. "I always knew they would figure it out."
"I had my doubts," her father said. "Skye can be so stubborn. Which will probably help her when it comes to being Mrs. Tifton's daughter-in-law."
Her sisters had always told stories about how truly awful Mrs. Tifton was, but Lydia couldn't help but think that if Mrs. Tifton had once been in love with the kindhearted Alec, then she couldn't be all bad.
"Ah-hah," Mr. Penderwick cried from the driver's seat. "I remember this, it's a left up here."
Sure enough, within a few minutes, two large stone columns came into sight.
Lydia started bouncing in her seat with excitement.
"Wow," her mom said. "These are some lovely grounds."
The car moved alongside the hedge, and Lydia was overtaken with a desire to jump out and run about to explore every tree and every flower.
"The gardens aren't what they once were," her dad was saying. "But take my word for it, they were something to behold back in the day."
Suddenly the mansion came into sight, and it was just as Jane had described it, with it's big windows and fine stonework. A great palace, like Cair Paravel, El Dorado, or Camelot. But best of all were the people pouring out of the front door.
First came Jane with her wild curls bouncing. Batty was close behind her, grinning from ear to ear. Then came Skye, dragging Jeffrey by the hand. Lydia had been surprised when they were added to the wedding docket, but her mother explained that Lydia didn't know all the history. And Lydia had to admit, the two of them looked so very right. Just as right as Rosalind and Tommy running towards the car as well.
At last the car stopped, and Lydia and Ben tumbled out, and all the siblings were together again, hugging and shouting.
The Penderwicks had returned to Arundel at last.