My brows shot up. “Thomas is… he’s going, too?”
Father nodded. “It was his idea.”
“Oh?” I couldn’t believe it. Thomas had won over my father just as he said he would. Clearly, this meant the end times were near. I hugged my father, still not quite believing my luck. “This is all wonderful, but… why?”
Father held me close. “I’ve tried in my own way to protect you from the harshness and diseases of the world. But men—and young women—weren’t meant to live in gilded cages. There’s always a chance some contagion will find a way in. I trust you to change that. In order to do so you must venture out into the world, my sweet girl. Promise me one thing, will you?”
“Anything, Father.”
“Always foster and grow that unquenchable curiosity of yours.”
I smiled. That was a promise I fully intended to keep.