Chapter 5: Hate and Advice

"Your parents are threatening the circus?" P.T repeated. Phillip nodded. "Why?"

"To teach me a lesson about socializing with "scandals"," Phillip said using air quotations. P.T smiled at that.

"Nice to know you don't think that way about us," P.T said. "But in all seriousness, why would they threaten the circus all of a sudden like this?"

"I don't know," Phillip admitted. "They've been threatening me for months but I don't know why they would NOW threaten the circus."

"Wait, they've been threatening you for months?" P.T questioned. Phillip slowly nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't a big deal until now," Phillip said.

"Your parents have been threatening you for several months how is that NOT a big deal?" P.T responded.

"Because before it was just me," Phillip told him. "Now, everyone else in the circus is at stake."

"So what're your options?" P.T asked.

"Stay and they'll ruin the circus, OR go back to them and they'll leave the circus alone," Phillip informed him.

"So what do YOU want to do?" P.T asked.

"I want to stay at the circus but I don't want them to ruin it," Phillip said. "I just don't know how to prevent them from ruining the circus without leaving, cause there's NO WAY I'm going back to them."

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that," P.T said. "But Charity can. She would get threatening letters from her parents every two weeks for months. Then we talked about it, she sent them a reply, and she never got another letter from them again. Oh! That reminds me. She would like you to care over tomorrow night so you two can talk about it. Think you can make it?" Phillip smiled.

"I'll be there," Phillip told hi. "Five good?" P.T nodded.

"Great! Also one question. When you gonna tell Anne?" P.T asked. Phillip swallowed his drink and sighed.

"I was planning on coming with you tomorrow and telling her then," Phillip told him.

"So you're coming back?" P.T assumed.

"For now," Phillip said. "It beats sitting and thinking at home. And I need to come back or the others'll start telling tales, especially Marie. Her and her group will have their lies around the circus before I even get to say a word."

"You know Marie?" P.T questioned.

"I KNOW everyone, P.T," Phillip answered. "It's kinda hard to run a show and NOT know everyone or at know not know their names." P.T chuckled.

"I can imagine that," P.T said.

"Marie, though, I don't understand," Phillip said. "She and her brother were more than happy to join the circus. Then less than a month in, she's all of a sudden giving me cold shoulders and is treating me as if I'm another snob."

"Any idea why?" P.T asked. Phillip shook his head.

"I treated her with dignity and respect like I do everyone else in the show," Phillip said. "I don't know why she started hating me or why anyone else is."

"Well, W.D told me that, "He [You] need to get back here and handle this before this gets out of hand," P.T told him. "Phillip, form what I've told it's getting worse. You can't ignore this. This could tear us apart."

"I know, I know," Phillip said. "I've been meaning to address this with them individually. It's just…we've been busy and then THIS happened. It's just been a roller coaster of events."

"I understand that but I'm saying, you need to address these matters, and soon," P.T told him.

"I kinda have to," Phillip responded. "They gave me a deadline. I need to have an answer for them by Saturday."

"So which one are you going to address first?" P.T asked.

"My parents," Phillip said. "I need to find a way to save the circus without going home. Otherwise, the problems with the performers won't matter."

"Sounds like a plan," P.T told him. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, yes you will," Phillip responded. Both men said their goodbyes and headed home.

The Next Morning

Phillip was a man of his word. So he did as he said he would and came to the circus.

"Carlyle!" Phillip turned to see W.D and smiled. W.D went up to and gave him a hug. "I was getting a little worried about you." W.D let him go. "I mean, Barnum said you were coming, but you know, the rumors. Thought for a second you weren't coming."

"W.D, how bad is it getting?" Phillip asked. W.D's mile fell.

"Bad," W.D said. "There's talk of possibly rebelling and maybe even trying to "get you out of the picture"." Phillip sighed. "Phillip, things are blowing out of proportions."

"I know, I know," Phillip said while "messaging" his forehead. "I will address this but first I've got to deal with something else."

"Your parents?" W.D guessed. Phillip nodded. "What are they trying to do?"

"Bribe me into going home," Phillip told him. "How's Anne?"

"She's fine but worried sick about you," W.D told him.

"Do you know where she is?" Phillip asked.

"She's backstage checking on the ropes," W.D informed him. "You gonna tell her what's going on?" Phillip nodded.

"Yes, I am," Phillip said. "I'll see you later." Phillip ran off to find Anne and he found her exactly where W.D said she would be.

"Anne," Phillip called. Anne turned to face him, smiled, and hugged him.

"Phillip! It's so good to see you," Anne said. She let him go. "I've missed you." Her smile dropped when she saw his expression. "What's wrong?"

"Can I talk to you privately?" Phillip asked. Anne nodded and they went over to Phillip's "office". It was in a smaller and separate tent and had a desk and a chair.

"So what is it?" Anne asked.

"My parents are threatening to ruin the circus," Phillip said plainly. "They said that if I return home that they wouldn't."

"Do you think they would if you did go back?" Anne questioned.

"Knowing them, I doubt it," Phillip admitted. "My father especially. He would probably do it just to teach me that he means business. Like before."

"Before with who?" Anne asked. "Phillip, has this happened before? Phillip hesitated for a few minutes.

"Yes, it has," Phillip answered. "And I don't want it to happen again. To ruin what you all have built here."

"Phillip, you've helped build this place too," Anne reminded him. "Hold it!" She placed a finger over his mouth before he could say another word. "I'm not done. From what you've told me about your parents, they're horrible people who never cared. You've been forced to be something you're not for years and play a part for the world. But that changed when you joined the circus. For the first time you felt loved, appreciated, and happy, right?"

"Yes, but I fail to see how that relates…" Phillip started.

"It relates because that's everyone's story here," Anne told him. "This is as much your home as it is ours. You've more than proven your loyalty to us rather than to the snobs of New York. You've also taught us something."

"What?" Phillip asked.

"That you can't judge someone for being born where they are just like you can't blame us for being born the way we were born," Anne said. "And that they're not all bad when you get to know them." Phillip smirked.

"Thanks," Phillip said.

"No problem," Anne told him. "Now, when did this happen before?" Phillip hesitated. That was personal and he felt it wasn't her business but he also knew that Anne deserved the truth.

"Well, it was when…"

"Phillip! Anne!" the two turned to see W.D at the entrance.

"What is it?" Anne asked.

"As of right now, we have not been given an answer on our deal. So I will remind those who have not heard it. Unless our son returns to us, we will destroy the circus. You have till Saturday evening. Signed Benjamin Carlyle."

Phillip, W.D, and Anne had only heard that part of the letter from P.T. He had read it in front of the entire troop. When they had heard the name, Benjamin Carlyle, everyone froze and turned to face Phillip. Phillip was ready to have a heart attack. Why did they have to send a letter to the circus?

"Well, let's give them what they want." Marie had spoken up. All eyes fell on her. "Come on! This isn't his place. It never has been! All he's ever done is bring trouble."

"And yet we've been thriving ever since he's been leading," Lettie said. "I fail to see what "trouble" he's brought."

"Marie's right," another performer said. He was Marie's twin and he was bald as well. "Carlyle's the reason Barnum started chasing Jenny Lynd. He brought you all to England!"

"Now hold it right there!" Barnum exclaimed.

"Also he started the brawl that led to the building to be burned," another one of the "cult" said.

"Now hold up! That was me!" W.D shouted.

"This isn't his place!" another of one the cult yelled. "It never has been! He doesn't care about us!"

"He's just another snob!" Marie's brother added.

"Marie, all of you, that's enough!" Barnum shouted. That silence them. "Phillip?" Phillip had slipped out at some point during the verbal fight. P.T walked over to the Marie and her "cult". "That was out of line. What happened with Jenny Lynd was my fault and mine alone. Phillip had nothing to do with it. He actually warned me against it."

"And I started that brawl," W.D said. "Phillip had tried to talk to them. But OBVIOUSLY it didn't work. And as for not caring…that's a load of garbage and you know it."

"Hasn't he?" Marie questioned.

"If he didn't, he wouldn't have run into a burning building and nearly died to try to save one of us," W.D said.

"Marie, this has to stop," Anne told her. "When will you and your group understand that this is his home as much as it is ours. And if he had WANTED to destroy the circus, he would have done it ages ago."

"I can name three times he could have," Barnum said. "First, when I went on tour with Jenny, second, when the circus's building burned down, and third any time in the last several months." They were silent. P.T turned to Marie. "And if you can't except him than you should probably leave."

"I should've known better," Phillip muttered. He was on his coach at home. "I should've known they'd do that. Should've…" Phillip noticed Charity's letter. "Maybe she can help."

"I'm coming!" Charity called. She opened the door and found… "Phillip? Come on in." She let him inside. "You're a little earlier."

"Hope you don't mind," Phillip said.

"Oh, of course not," Charity responded. "What is it?"

"Do you think we can have that talk right now?" Phillip asked. Charity nodded. They went to the kitchen table and saw Caroline and Helen playing a board game.

"I win!" Caroline exclaimed.

"You always win!" Helen complained. "Why don't we ever play my game?" The girls turned to see their mother and Phillip. Their faces turned into a joy shock expression.

"Phillip!" they exclaimed. They got out of their chairs and ran up to him. Phillip smiled and knelt down as the girls threw themselves onto him for a hug.

"Hi girls," Phillip said. They released him.

"Girls, could you go play somewhere else?" Charity asked kindly. "Me and Phillip need to talk."

"Okay, mommy," Caroline responded. The girls headed off with Caroline leading and Helen slowly following. Phillip sighed.

"If only we all had the imagination and open-mindedness of children," Phillip said. "The world would be a different place entirely." Charity nodded.

"Yes, it would be," Charity agreed. They both sat down at the table. "So your parents…"

"Are trying bribe me into going back to them by using the circus," Phillip finished. "And if they don't get an answer by Saturday they'll ruin it anyways. You said that your parents sent you threatening letters when you first married P.T. How did you handle it?"

"Well, at first I tried to hid them," Charity started. "But when they kept coming, I knew I had to reply. Then Phin found out and, well, he wasn't very happy that I had hidden them from him."

"So what happened?" Phillip asked.

"We talked about it. And together we found a way to turn the tables on my parents and I've never gotten another letter since," Charity told him. "So my advice to you is to talk to Anne. She's going to be your wife and when you're married you work out your problems TOGETHER. Also, she might see something that you can't or don't see. Like how…"

"Two head are better than one," Phillip finished.

"Exactly," Charity said.

"Thanks Charity," Phillip said.

"Anytime, Phillip," Charity responded. "So I guess that means that you won't be coming to dinner?" Phillip shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer though," Phillip told her.

The Next Morning

Wednesday morning. It was three days till the deadline. Barnum was still leading the circus but there was tension among all the performers. The events of yesterday were still fresh on everyone's mind.

"Anne!" P.T ran up to Anne who was getting the ropes ready. "This came for you and it's from Phillip." Anne stopped what she was doing and took the letter from P.T. She read it silently and it said the following.

Anne,

Come to my place. I'll explain everything.

Love,

Phillip

"P.T, may I…" she began.

"I'll let W.D know where you are," P.T told her. Anne smiled and went to change. After she had, she headed for Phillip's. She knocked and he opened the door and let her in. They smiled and he let her in.

"Glad you came," Phillip said. He closed the door behind her.

"So what did you mean by before yesterday?" Anne asked. They both sat on the coach.

"I've told you everything about my past except for one thing," Phillip began. "I had one friend before the circus. His name was Harold."