Walking A Tightrope (Greatest Showman fanfiction)

Chapter Two--Barnum's American Museum Of Curiosity

When her father returned home from looking for a job announcing he'd just done something that could be big for the family, Phylis didn't know how to react. She had seen her father's previous plans and had considered herself........mildly surprised. It wasn't always in a good way but she was always excited to see what he would come up with next. She stood behind her parents but in front of her enthusiastic sisters. Even though she wasn't walking with them, she still overheard their conversation.

"Why would the bank give us $10,000?" her mother asked in shock.

"Because we put up that collateral," he answered.

"I didn't know we had collateral," Caroline whispered to her sister cluelessly.

"What's collateral?" Helen asked just as Charity added, "Dear. What collateral are you talking about?"

"The one in the South China Seas," P.T. continued. Phylis brushed her blonde hair almost identical to her mother's out of her eyes confused.

"I'm sorry, South China Sea?" she double-checked as Charity nodded in agreement.

"At the bottom of the South China seas," he corrected his daughter as his younger girls ran ahead. Their sister ran behind so neither would skim their knee.

"And what exactly did you buy with that loan?" she heard her mother wonder. Just then, they arrived.

"Barnum's American Museum Of Curiosity," Caroline read as her sister grinned while rubbing her hair.

"What kind of museum is it?" Helen asked impatiently.

"Be patient," Phylis whispered, reminding her what her mother had tried to teach her. P.T laughed.

"Good to see you're excited, Helen," he said, placing an arm around her. "Shall we go check it out then?"

The girls nodded excitedly. His oldest daughter, however, simply frowned hoping this would be interesting. She expected a lot of things, most of which were actually okay but she definitely did not think that her father would create a museum of wax figures. Phylis tried everything not to roll her eyes. When he asked what they thought, she didn't say anything. All she could think was this was definitely a start, a rocky one but one.

"This, my dear ladies, is a place to be transported. It's a place you can see things you've never seen before," P.T. announced.

"Wax figures?" Charity asked, confused an arm around Caroline.

"Yeah, of course. What else would they be? They're all the rage in Europe. These are some of the most important historical people to ever exist on Earth. Marie Antonette with a sore throat. Napoleon. Don't worry. They aren't all wax," he announced. The girls followed him towards a weird-looking man with glasses. "This is the great O'Mally. He's the master of sleight at hand. He was the king of deception." Phineas pointed to the man.

"You don't look like a magician," Caroline said confused. Her sister high-fived her. That's my girl, she thought.

"I'm not. I'm actually a thief," he admitted. Phylis gasped holding Helen to her and standing behind Caroline protectively.

"A very good thief," Phineas admitted. "I caught him nicking my watch." Then, the 'Great' O'Mally started showing the group what he meant. Phylis zoned out of that part until she heard Helen yell, "An elephant!"

"Not just any elephant," Phineas announced following the girls. Phylis trailed behind, her mother directly behind. She rolled her eyes at him flirting with her. Was it not obvious that she was taken? Apparently, not to him. Charity, being too sweet to snap at him, simply thanked him hesitantly.