"Skye also hears that Mr. Penderwick is a pushover, she thinks Batty has a mental issue because of "her tacky wings and the odd way she stares without speaking," and that Mrs. Penderwick ran away from the family because she got tired of caring for all the girls.Skye loses her self-control, storms into the room, and tells Mrs. Tifton that her mother is dead before leaving.