Chapter 3: Deadline Given

"Phin! There's a letter for you from…Phillip Carlyle?" Charity said. The Barnums were having lunch and it was Saturday.

"Really?" P.T questioned. She handed it to him and he opened it.

"What does it say, Daddy?" Caroline asked.

"It says,

Dear P.T, Sorry if this is last minute, but I can't lead the show tonight, tomorrow, or Monday. Would you please fill in for me on these three days? I also will not be able to attend our evening drinks today or tomorrow either. I promise I will explain everything on Monday night's drinks.

From, Your Friend,

Philip

P.S Yes, it is related to parents and PLEASE don't tell Anne.

I promise I'll tell her when I can."

"Daddy, is Phillip in trouble?" Helen asked.

"I don't know, sweetie," P.T admitted. "But knowing his parents, probably." He turned to Charity. "Would you mind if I did?"

"No, as long as you don't let it get to your head," Charity teased.

"I promise, I won't," P.T said. "Well, if I'm going to fill in, I'd better get going. See you girls, later!" P.T quickly ate, said his goodbyes, and headed out to the circus.

"Hey Barnum! What are you doing here?!" W.D asked.

"Phillip is taking the rest of the weekend and Monday off. So I'm afraid you're stuck with me," Barnum told him. Anne was surprised. She knew Phillip had been acting off last night, but something must have been MAJOR off if he was willing to hand the reigns over to Barnum for the next two days. So the first chance she had to talk to Barnum privately, she took it.

"P.T, do you know what's wrong with Phillip?" Anne asked.

"Not really," Barnum admitted. "He said he need these next few days off and he'd explain it to me on Monday. And told me he'd tell you about it as soon as he could."

"Is it related to his parents?" Anne asked.

"No doubt about it," P.T said. "But he didn't say what or how it is."

"Do you think he's okay?" Anne asked.

"I don't know, Anne," P.T admitted. "I don't know."

Phillip, meanwhile, was at his parents' doorstep. He knocked on his parents' door and it was opened by his father. He let him in and his mother joined them in the foyar.

"One question," Phillip said. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Because you need to learn that there are barriers and things we can't do," his father told him. "We thought you'd learned that with Harry but apparently you didn't."

"First of all his name is Harold," Phillip began. "And second of all, you had no right to ruin him."

"He was a scandal and a pig!" his father exclaimed.

"He was an honest man who was just trying to get his business off the ground," Phillip corrected. "And he was a gentleman in every way. The only reason you didn't like him was because he was from the lower class."

"Phillip, why are you here?" his mother asked.

"I just want to know why is it that you can't leave me alone?" Phillip asked. "When I'm applying by your standards you could care less where I am or what I am doing. Heck, I could be drunk and partying and you wouldn't care as long as I was still doing things by your rules. But when I'm not following them, all of a sudden you decide to be involved in my life. It doesn't even matter what MY opinion is but YOURS. And love where I am. You can't just barge right into my life and start telling me how to live it. You never cared before so why start now?"

His parents didn't know what to say and neither did Phillip. All Phillip knew was that he had crossed a line somewhere in the middle of his speech. His father's face hardened and his mother's was aghast.

"You have a week to decide," his father said. "And if you haven't decided by then, we WILL ruin the circus. Understood?" Phillip nodded and left. He head home, unsure and angry. Why couldn't they leave him alone? They had his whole life until now. So he had to play by their rules or they'd ruin what he was doing? He was positive that THAT wasn't love.

When he came home, his anger had died but his uncertainity had grown. What was he to do? He couldn't let them ruin the circus but he couldn't let his parents win either. And what about Anne? He couldn't leave her but for her not to be able to do what she loved again? He couldn't let that happen to her either. He sighed.

"What am I going to do?"