One Heart- The Greatest Showman

Chapter 59

Elizabeth's Pov 

I let up against the door, after Lillia had left and attempted to process everything she had just mentioned a mere moments before. The wind brushed up against the windows, creating s soft breeze within the house while the crackle of the fire had begun to die. 

If what Miss Griffin had said was true; that would entitle Hannah to be only a puppet for her acts. Doing whatever she could to hide her relationship with someone who her parents would not approve of. Having her own secret romance. She would be in a similar situation as Phillip and I, not being accepted by society. I mean, it was considered forbidden that someone of Phillip's class would marry someone like me (nevertheless we broke that tradition). But it was extremely prohibited for a woman of high class to marry someone of a lower class, and in doing so decreasing her caste. Typically, this was because the father of the woman would never allow the gentleman to propose or he would marry her off before the day she turned eighteen. But for Hannah, someone who was nearly two years younger than myself, to have to hide her relationship and deceive herself as well as others to keep her romance a secret. I could help but feel a tinge of pity towards her. 

I twiddled a corner of my overdress in my fingers as I thought back to the initial reason for her visit. She did not want me to marry Phillip, so she could herself. But there was something more than that, more than her just wanting to claim Phillip's inheritance. And Mr Thomas Carter was involved in it as well, after all not only did he attempt to court me despite my rejection, he locked Phillip in the kitchen to do so. There was a bigger picture, something I was missing. There was a storm brewing and I was unable to identify where. 

I picked myself up off the floor before walking back towards the dining room, where a pot of ink,  an empty set list and a cold cup of tea sat, waiting for my return. Pushing the tea aside, I quickly jotted down everything Lillia had said so I could tell Phillip when he returned from Montreal, before beginning on my actual list of things to do. The ink spread across the page, as I placed the nib of the pen upon the parchment, beginning to form to set list for tonight's show. 

Phillip's Pov 

The carriage ride was long and all I could think of was leaving Lizzy at home, by herself. I didn't want to leave her by herself but she insisted that I took this trip. I pulled the letter out of my pocket and read over it once more. Countess Adele Callaway, was renowned through out the world for her sophistication and grace towards the arts. I had met her very well when I was in Paris with one of my of my plays. Her kindness towards all exceeds her reputation, and I only talked with her extremely briefly before father pulled me away from her. Claiming that she was the "wrong kind" of upper class to get mixed up with. And me still retaining my ignorance at that point in time, I believed him. But unlike him, I was never cruel to her. Always kind to the elderly lady. 

She waited outside the house in which she was residing, her grey hair tied up into a braid upon her head. A  string of pearls hung around her neck. Using her  brass walking stick to move forward within the snow. Unlike at home, the snow was still evident  in thick blankets.

"Phillip!", she exclaimed her French accent extremely heavy. "How have you been?" She cried, pulling me into a surprise embrace.  

"Very well, Lady Adele. And you?" 

She nodded and waving her hand up in the air, as she began to drag me inside the house. "Ves, Ves. I have heard that e' have been married?" She questioned 

"Yes we have, but not officially." 

"Ohhh, it is so nice to hear that you have found love with one who you are extremely well suited to." Countess Adele said loudly,  as she settled into a large chair by the fire. Myself sitting opposite.  "Elizabeth? Is it not?" 

"Yes Ma'am." I acknowledged before processing what she had just said. "I'm sorry, did you say Elizabeth?" 

"Ves dear, Elizabeth e' the tightrope and, zat other thing," She paused momentarily before finding the word. "Trapeze." 

I moved back into my seat slightly, shifting my weight. "How do you know all this?" Surely the papers didn't advertise our engagement up here as well. 

"Miss Carlyle have been visiting me often while I have been retiring up here alone." 

I was startled enough to place the drink Countess Adele had gave me back onto the table as I nearly choked on it upon hearing her name. "Hannah was here?" 

"Ves . She comes up to the house every vew weeks to visit Theodore."

"Who?" 

"My footman, Theodore." When she caught the sense that I was unaware she clarrfied her statement a little bit more. "Theodore Gillis, Hannah's fiancé."