This is a story about Phillip Carlyle and Elizabeth Gray - a close friend of Anne's who joins the circus with her. Elizabeth and Phillip instantly attracted to one another. However, Elizabeth knows her place in society and questions whether or not P...
The tightrope felt uneasy under my feet, something about this place...all the people watching made me uneasy. I positioned myself in the middle of the tightrope and lifted my hands up to form a 'Y' shape. Then Anne flew down on her trapeze and grab me, throwing me to W.D and then onto the platform. The audience erupted in applause and unlike the shows back home, nobody booed.
I went back stage and put on the dress that my Father had given me before I left. It was fairly simple - just a white dress with long white gloves. I did my hair up into a, sort of, elegant bun; leaving my performing attire behind stage.
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The rest of the show went smoothly and everybody went into the ballroom to have a party in Mr Barnum's honour. I peered through the crack of the door, watching all the members of the court waltz around the room. Anne, W.D. and Lettie, along with the other performers, were also dancing; with themselves as well as other people at the party.
I couldn't bring myself to go into the ballroom. I don't really know why. Something felt off about me going in there, pretending to fit in the society, only to go back home and have everything return to normal; people booing at us for being different, having to carefully walk home in the daylight because my skin was darker than others. It was a kind of pain I didn't want to have to remember when I got back.
But even that thought wouldn't stop me from dreaming. Silently, I closed the door but the music was still evident. Still pouring through every little crack to radiate into the hallway.
If I closed my eyes, even slightly, I could imagine myself in the ballroom. Dancing along with the music. I picked up the long trail of my dress before beginning to waltz by myself - just because I wasn't going in to the ballroom doesn't mean I can't have any fun.
The sound of my heels clicking against the floor as I moved along with the orchestral music. I wasn't doing it correctly, I knew that. I had only learnt by watching others do it at parties, nobody had ever taught me.
I went to spun myself around only to hit somebody square in the chest with enough impact to cause me to fall over.
"Oh my, I am so sorry. " I stutter looking at the ground, not daring to look at the person I ran in to.
A laugh came. Not a laugh which was cruel or sarcastic, but a true laugh. One I had become familiar with.
Phillip placed his hand out to help me up. I raised my eyebrow before cautiously talking it.
"Not joining the party I see?" he stated as I brushed off my white dress.
"I could say the same to you."
"Well then, care to take a walk into the garden with me?"
*****
Phillip took me out into the garden, nobody even saw us leave the interior of the palace as they were all in the party.
