America's First Daughter

William and Patsy begin a courtship while waiting for Jefferson to return to Paris. Each expresses a desire to be of service and consequence to their country. Shortly after Jefferson returns, William is abruptly sent away. Patsy wants to ask if her father has dismissed William as a suitor but fears she won’t get a direct answer: “My father was always an artful politician. Too clever to be drawn into discussions of matters of the heart when his own was so guilty” (145).

Instead, Jefferson hints at an alliance with Tom. He clearly prefers a landed gentleman for his daughter rather than a salaried civil servant. Patsy is heartbroken and decides to become a nun. Shortly before she breaks the news to Jefferson, she and Polly both contract typhus. They’re sent to their chateau to recover, and Jefferson tends them through the illness personally. Once they’re out of danger, the girls learn that Paris is no longer safe, and Jefferson has arranged their return to Virginia.

In April of 1789, Patsy writes her father a letter informing him of her plans to become a nun. They have a quiet chat one evening to discuss the matter. It becomes fraught with emotional turmoil.