“I wish you were a boy so I could have taken you with me.” William sighed. “It would be fun to have you with us.”
Lizzy sprang up excitedly, “Could I not dress like a boy and go with...”
“No, Lizzy,” William replied with a laugh. “Your papa would not allow it and it is too long of a journey.” He lifted her up onto his lap and hugged her. “If you were my daughter and left me for three years, I would cry and cry, and be sad endlessly. You belong here and you will learn many things and if you are very good, very, very good, perhaps I can take you to the continent someday. Once you help me choose a good wife, we can take you anywhere you wish when you are older and if your papa is willing to let you go to faraway places.” He kissed her head, “Would you like that?”
Lizzy remained quiet for a moment. William looked down and saw tears rolling out.
“What is the matter?” He asked.
Lizzy wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I will miss you. It will not be the same without you here. But I know you have to go and that it’s important for you to go.”
William smiled as he pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed her face, “I will write to you every day. I will collect my stories and send you my letters as often as I can and I will bring you back as many wonderful items as I can find for you. I promised Georgiana ribbons and charms for her bracelet, and I think my Grand Tour might just turn out to be a huge shopping excursion for my favourite girls instead! But I will think of you daily. I will miss you greatly, my dear Lizzy. I only have one blood-brother, remember?”
Lizzy nodded. “I expect to receive thick letters every time and you must share what you experience in as much detail as possible. I am writing my story of Will and Liam’s journey and want to include the places you saw and things you did. I will even mention you on my dedication page!”
“I will agree to that, Lizzy!” William laughed. “It is late and I must deliver you home.” He stood up with her in his arms carried her to his horse. “I have to get back to Netherfield to prepare for dinner with your family. Mama wanted to invite all the families in Meryton for my send-off but I told her I only wanted your family present. Your cousin Collins is an odd sort of a fellow but he is growing on me now after you explained his childhood. Your father has been a good mentor for him.”
Lizzy hopped onto the horse and they began to ride to Longbourn. “He is courting Charlotte and I could not be happier for my friend. He has at least two more years of schooling but papa said that once he completes his studies, he can live in the dower house if he wishes to marry. Charlotte is hopeful that they can marry soon, and I think she really loves him. She finds his eccentricities amusing and I can’t think of another reason to find his follies as to admire them, other than due to love.”
“It must be, Lizzy.” William responded. “I have quite given up on the idea of love and I no longer trust my own judgment, so I will wait patiently to return to England to pursue a courtship. You must find me several worthy ladies and hopefully I will choose the right one amongst them. I must have you interrogate them thoroughly before I make a decision. I trust your judgment more than I trust myself.”
Lizzy nodded her agreement and hugged him once more after he helped her down from Snowflake in front of her home. “In case I don’t get a chance to tell you later, Will, make sure you eat well and stay healthy. You will have such an adventure before you but you still have several weeks at Highbury and I don’t want you to become ill before you even have a chance to get to Ireland. You must promise me that you will take good care of yourself.”
“Yes, mother.” William laughed. “I promise.”
Lizzy smiled as she looked up at him. “I will never be your mother, Will, because that would make me very old and you will always be the old, decrepit man!” She stuck her tongue out in jest and smiled. She waved as he mounted his horse again while laughing and he returned to his home. Lizzy knew their separation would be keenly felt but she could not be more excited for her dear friend and hoped for the next years to pass quickly.
Chapter 19
September 1806
“I have heard from Will, papa!” Lizzy ran into her father’s study with the letter in her hand. “He travelled through Wales and visited a city with a ridiculously long name, Llanfairpw... I can’t say it. It is too long to try to pronounce.” She laughed. “He was to have spent August there and to sail to Ireland in September. He should have arrived there by now. How exciting! He wrote that he had met several interesting characters already and the Welsh language was very fun to learn. Oh, I wish I were there with him, papa.”
Mr. Bennet laughed, “But you have been enjoying yourself here and you will travel to Ramsgate next month with the Darcys. Are you looking forward to it?”
Lizzy beamed, “Oh, yes, papa! I have not seen the ocean before and I can’t wait to see it. It will be so vast and I will never wish to leave it. I wish I could be on a ship and sail the seas like Admiral Nelson.”
“I believe Mr. Darcy is planning on treating you and Georgiana to a
