Chapter 9

December 22, 1851

It's the ninth day of Christmas, and what did Barnum see, but nine Christmas carols…

Jenny watched the awkward silence between her and Lettie grow longer and longer. She wished Charity hadn't left them alone when she went to go pick up the girls from ballet rehearsal. Most of the troupe had followed Charity's lead and had warmed up to her relatively quickly since Thanksgiving. Lettie, however, was another story.

Jenny couldn't even be mad about that, honestly. Not given how women like her usually treated women like Lettie. She had made sure to give her a wide berth most of the time - she was aware, after all, that her presence at the circus was nearly like she was intruding in Lettie's home. Things had gotten a little better since their snowball fight with the Barnum girls - but now that they weren't here to act as a buffer, you could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

Finally, Jenny couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So, Lettie," she blurted out. Lettie's head snapped up, and she raised an eyebrow at the opera singer. Jenny searched for something to say.

"Umm...what's your favorite Christmas tradition?" Lettie seemed taken aback by the question. She looked down, avoiding Jenny's eyes and scuffing one foot on the floor.

"Er...I don't know. I don't have a lot of experience with Christmas."

If she were able, Jenny would have kicked herself. She knew very well that Lettie hadn't had many happy Christmases. She felt herself go bright red with embarrassment, but then something unexpected happened: Lettie saved her.

"What's yours?"

"Oh…" Jenny was still floundering from her earlier faux pas, "Well, lots of them are nice. But the Christmas music has to be my favorite, I would say." Lettie had been carefully avoiding contact as of yet, but now her eyes snapped to Jenny with keen interest.

"There are songs written just for Christmas?" she asked in surprise, "Besides what Barnum has us doing, I mean?" Jenny nodded, her shoulders relaxing as the conversation tread on safe ground.

"There are several." She hesitated, wondering if it would be too presumptuous, but she took a risk. "I - I could teach you some, if you'd like." As soon as she said it, Jenny wanted to take the words back. Why should Lettie want to learn anything from her? But to her surprise and relief, Lettie smiled.

"I'd like that."

Phillip and P.T. were in the middle of taking care of paperwork when P.T. suddenly paused.

"Shh, Phillip!" The younger man obediently went silent, but didn't hear anything.

"What?"

"Listen!" He did, and then he heard what P.T. was hearing:

"Oh how they pound

Raising the sound,

O'er hill and dale,

Telling their tale.

Gaily they ring

While people sing

Songs of good cheer,

Christmas is here.

Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas,

Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas…"

"Is that -?"

"Jenny and Lettie singing together?" P.T. finished. "Yes, yes it is."

"Huh. Who would've thought?" he muttered, half to P.T. and half to himself. The two men listened a few moments more.

"They sound quite good together!" P.T. smiled, but he wasn't looking at Phillip. He was looking at Charity, who had just returned from picking up the girls and was listening to the music with a satisfied smile.

eight pints of eggnog,

seven hours of shopping,

six snow angels,

FIVE WOODEN SLEDS!

Four painted zebras,

three new daring acts,

two dancing daughters,

and a beautiful Christmas tree!

Question of the Day: What is your favorite Christmas song? Mine is Carol of the Bells, which is why it made it into this chapter even though it wasn't written until 1914. It's rare I hear a version that I don't like.