Stars Aligned

Behind The Story

He hadn't been the only one mesmerized.

When Anne Wheeler is in the air, she was fully focused, a necessity considering her life depended on her being able to catch her brother's arms on time, with a tight grip on her trapeze bar. But when she had first laid eyes on the mysterious male Mr. Barnum had brought in, Anne had almost missed W.D's outstretched arms, and would've fallen had her brother not done the dangerous act of loosening his grip on his bar to grab her.

It was why they had immediately descended from their bars, with W.D questioning her on what had happened to her mid-air. She barely heard his questions though, when she walked in and Mr. Barnum immediately introduced them.

Anne found her breathe caught, when he looked at her with such intensity in his pale green eyes. His chiseled jaw stole her breathe, and her eyes were drawn to the way the streaked blonde hair flopped lazily over his gaze.

"I'd like to introduce you all to my newest assistant, Mr. Philip Carlyle."

Despite it being an introduction to everyone, it was palpable, the attention that was riveted on Anne by the newly introduced assistant. Desperate to break the silence, and yet keep a cool act, Anne picked up her scarf, wrapping it around her neck as she asked in what she hoped was an off-handed manner. "And what is your act, Mr. Carlyle?"

"I... don't have an act."

She paused in front of him, unable to resist studying his chiseled features further, before giving a soft smile. "Everyone has an act."

---

"You watch so intently... when you're as much part of the show."

"I've always liked shows." she replied.

Anne had finished her part of the act earlier, and was now perched in an alcove watching Tom Thumb marveling the audience with his ease of acting and shifting between mounts from horse to elephant. Her pink wig was still perched on her head, but it wasn't the most eye-catching thing about her.

Not for Philip, anyway.

Instead, he was enraptured by the way she moved, the way her smile was small yet seemed to flood her whole face, how she whole-heartedly put her focus on everything she did. Even after a month being with the Barnum Circus, Philip still found himself easily drawn to Anne Wheeler. Of course, W.D. was not happy about it at all, but Anne was a headstrong one, yet another thing that Philip found fascinating about her.

But perhaps the best thing about it all, was that he found that she did not even try to avoid him. Philip did not hide his attraction to her, but neither did Anne. They exchanged looks across the ring as they practiced and Philip learned by watching. She accepted the cups of water he brought her in between her practice on her trapeze or her hoop. They exchanged small talk, and the day Philip had came back to the circus with his bags of clothing in tow after he got into a row with his parents and unceremoniously removed himself from the Carlyle mansion, Anne had been the one who opened the doors of their building for him, and helped him find a room and unpacked.

"Are you sure this is alright, Philip?" she had asked softly. Anne knew how it felt like to grow up shunned, with no family, and she wasn't sure she wanted that for Philip.

But he had taken one look at her, and knew he made the right decision. The circus made him laugh, Lettie was like a proper mother to him. Barnum was like a mentor and a brother... and then there was Anne.

He nodded. "You're all family."

---

He had rushed out the moment he had heard the row, the arguments that broke out every so often in the back alley behind their building, where the protesters would wait almost every other night. The moment he entered the chill of the night air, he saw Lettie and O'Clancy yelling at the protestors. It looked like they had just returned from a night out at a nearby market which had opened up. Philip moved forward, intent on shuffling all of the people in quickly, when his eyes quickly caught sight of a lady in curls.