After meeting the queen, the room began to talk with each other. Phillip stood with Phineas, looking over at Amelia. Amelia was fiddling with the hem of her tutu, standing with Anne, who was trying to cover herself up with the little bit of costume that she had. They felt out of place with all the dressed-up women, not to mention that it was cold to be only in their leotards.
"That went well," Phineas said, turning to Phillip and holding a glass of champagne.
"Your Majesty." The steward announced, making everyone look at him.
"Phillip," Phineas said, making Phillip look at him, taking a drink of the champagne.
"Miss Jenny Lind." The announcer continued to announce.
A beautiful woman walked out in a white ballgown, and the room looked in awe. "Who is that?" Phineas asked when he looked at the woman like the rest of the room did.
"The opera singer?" Phillip asked when he turned to look at Phineas, furrowing his brows.
"Singer, huh?" Phineas asked when Phillip looked at him in disbelief. How did he not know who she was?
"She's the most famous performer in all of Europe. She's sold out La Scala a dozen times. Not to mention the French Opera." Phillip explained when the two watched Jenny Lind bow before the queen.
"Ah..." Phineas smiled before dragging Phillip over to Jenny Lind.
"What are you doing?" Phillip asked him.
"Following you, so you can introduce me to Miss Lind," Phineas said, still dragging Phillip over to him.
"Introduce you?" Phillip asked him, making Phineas nod. "I don't know her," Phillip said when he tried to look at Phineas.
"Everybody knows her. You just said so yourself."
"Yeah, exactly. You don't just march up to someone like this." Phillip protested when Phineas stopped dragging him since they were closer to Jenny Lind.
"Why not? We're personable. She's a person." Phineas smiled before clearing his throat, making Jenny Lind turn around to them.
"Miss Lind." Phillip smiled, doing what Phineas asked him to do. "My name is Phillip Carlyle..." Phillip introduced himself, kissing Jenny's gloved hand.
Meanwhile, Amelia kept glancing over at Phillip when he wasn't looking her way. "At least you have a less revealing costume." Anne sighed, looking at Amelia, who sighed to herself.
"Where are they off to?" Amelia asked, watching her father and Phillip walk over to the crowd of fancy people. "To the beautiful rich lady..." Amelia sighed when she saw the lady turn around before Phillip kissed the woman's hand.
"He's just a charmer, Mimi... Don't worry about it." Anne said, sounding worried, rubbing Amelia's arm.
"Yeah... I can see that..." Amelia sighed, looking away from the interaction.
"...And this extraordinary gentleman next to me--" Phillip went to introduce Phineas after kissing Jenny's glove hand.
"Phineas T. Barnum." Phineas introduced himself, picking up Jenny's gloved hand to place a kiss on her hand. "The pleasure is mine." He smirked at her.
"Of course, you are the American. I believe I might have heard of you." Jenny Lind said to Phineas.
"Oh, well, if you've heard of me all the way over here, I must be doing something right," Phineas smirked, making Jenny chuckle at him.
"That, or something very wrong." Jenny corrected him, knowing his whole circus and career were based on scandals and lies.
"Well, in the world of publicity, there's hardly a difference." Phineas smiled at her.
"I believe those are the words of a scoundrel, Mr. Barnum." Jenny corrected once more.
"A showman, Miss Lind, just a showman. The best on my side of the Atlantic." Phineas smiled, bragging about himself.
"Well, if you do say so yourself," Jenny smirked at his cockiness.
"I do, but I don't have to," Phineas said, lightly nudging Phillip's arm.
"Oh, no. No. No, he is one of the best." Phillip said, bragging about Phineas.
"Oh, that's very kind of you," Phineas said, shrugging the compliment off as if he didn't make Phillip give him one. "Miss Lind... let me get to the point. I'd like to bring you to New York. And if you agree, I'll make you the most famous singer not in Europe but in the entire world." Phineas promised, making Jenny think for a moment.
"Mmm... And have you heard me sing?" Jenny asked the two of them.
"Absolutely." Phillip smiled at her.
"No. No, I haven't. But like mine, your reputation precedes you, and, well, I trust your reputation more than my own taste, so..." Phineas shrugged when Phillip hoped he could talk his way out of whatever hole Phineas was digging himself in. But Jenny seemed very intrigued by him.
"I've never been to America," Jenny said, making Phineas go further into his plan.
"You will sing in the greatest theater with the finest orchestra in the greatest city on Earth. "Jenny Lind. One night only. Or maybe two..."" He said, making her chuckle at his plan. "And at 20 percent of the gate, it'll be a queen's ransom for your efforts." He continued to say to her.
"I give most of my earnings to charity, Mr. Barnum. To orphans and widows." Jenny said to the two men.
""Voice of a nightingale, heart of an angel."" Phillip said, giving Phineas more ideas.
"That's brilliant. I mean, the press will go crazy for that story." Phineas said, looking at Phillip.
"That's not a story." Jenny corrected him, making the two of them look back at her. "May I ask you something, Mr. Barnum?" She asked him.
"Anything."
"Why me?" Jenny asked him when Phineas glanced over to his daughter, who was talking to Anne and W.D.
"People come to my show for the pleasure of being hoodwinked... Just once, I'd love to give them something real." Phineas smiled at her when she didn't say anything, just smiled at him.
"Miss Lind." A man came over when Jenny walked away with him.
~968 words~
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What if We Rewrite the Stars?
FanfictionAmelia Barnum grew up with her parents telling her that she could do anything she wanted. She grew up loving to do tricks and dance around the rooftop of their small apartment complex. After her father, Phineas T. Barnum, gets a grand idea, Amelia...
