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That evening, Marianne and Brandon sat together in their room.

“We had thought of India,” Brandon said. “Canada is farther than I imagined.”

“It is an established town,” Marianne replied. “Fort Henry is not an isolated wilderness post.”

“I know. But it does not alter the distance.”

He looked at her.

“Our daughter.”

“Our only daughter,” Marianne said.

They had raised Anne to marry, leave them, and establish a home of her own. They had simply never imagined that home would be on the other side of the Atlantic.

“I am happy for her,” Marianne said. “I love Matthew. And she loves him.”

“She does.”

“Then we must let her go.” Marianne took his hand. “But I shall miss her terribly.”

“I know,” Brandon said quietly.

“And Canada is so far.”

“It is.”

“When I cannot bear it any longer, you will take me to her?” Marianne asked with tears forming in her eyes.

“Of course.”

“But it is such a journey.”

Brandon lifted his wife’s chin. “Then we shall make the journey. She is our daughter.”

Marianne leaned against him. “I do not know how I shall manage.”

“Nor I. We shall write to her and wait for her letters. And if we cannot bear the distance, we shall go.”

She smiled through her tears. “You make everything sound simple.”

“It is not simple. But there are some things a father must do.”

They sat together, remembering Anne as a child and facing the sadness of her departure.

The following day, Mrs. Dashwood, Margaret and Simon arrived for a family dinner. They had crossed the Atlantic several times and were familiar with ships, ports, provisions, and the practical difficulties of long travel. They had also been considering a journey to Canada.

“Canada?” Margaret asked when she heard of Matthew’s posting.

“Fort Henry,” Anne replied.

Margaret looked at Simon. He nodded. “We said Canada would be our next trip.”

“Well,” said she, “that settles it. We shall go with you.”

Anne protested, but Margaret insisted that their plans were flexible and that they could help arrange the voyage, accompany Anne and Matthew to Kingston, and remain until they were settled.

“We know which cabins are tolerable, what provisions are worth bringing, and how much clothing one needs for weeks at sea,” said she.