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But I had promised myself—and more important, I had promised Mama, from whom I still felt somewhat estranged—that I would keep my sister safe. And that did not mean dragging her up onstage with me; indeed, the thought of Minnie onstage was so foreign that I could not comprehend it. What on earth would she do? Hold my hand and clutch her doll?

“No!” My tongue was almost tired of saying the word; would he not listen to me? “I told you before, this is not the life for her. If you want Nutt to join Charles and me, that’s fine, as long as he behaves like a gentleman. But no, Minnie must not. She’s much too young.”

“She’s no younger than Nutt; she’s not much younger than you were when you first left home.”

“That’s entirely different. Minnie is not me. She’s not as strong; she’s not as—”

“What?” He cocked a bushy eyebrow. “She’s not as bright as you? As capable of understanding the world? I don’t know if that’s true or not, but what you must acknowledge is that she’ll have you with her the entire time. You’re in a very different position now, and I’m no Colonel Wood. You’ll never be in the kind of danger you were then, and you’re a married woman, anyhow. You won’t be attracting the kind of people who prey on maidens.”

“Perhaps not, but—”

“And the four of you, together—now, you must know you will cause a sensation the likes of which this country has never seen. You will be the most famous quartet in America, I’ll bet my hat on it. Think of the audience you will reach; think of how many people will see how proper, how intelligent you all are—what joy you will bring! And you miss your sister, I know it. Charles is a good soul, but—I can see that you are lonely, at times.”

“Yes, maybe.” I was reluctant to admit it, but I was. “But that’s not the point. And anyway, I don’t believe Mama and Papa would allow it.” And I hoped that they wouldn’t, but I knew, deep down in my sinking soul, that they would. They were both anxious to repair our breach, and entrusting me with Minnie’s care would do that.

“You can talk them into it, I know.”

“I can’t refuse this, can I?” I was suddenly weary; I had a long evening ahead of me. The Vanderbilts’ dinner would run well past midnight.

“I don’t know why you would want to. Think of the possibilities for us all—and especially for Minnie. Think of the things she will see now! Think of how delighted she will be to join you!”

“I suppose so.” She would be happy to be with me; that was the one bright hope I clung to, defeated and deflated as I was—also ashamed, for it was my own actions, after all, that had brought about this situation. “Is there anything else you require of me? Does this repay my debt to you?”

“Now, don’t talk like that. There are no debts between friends, are there?”

“No, but between business partners, there often are.”

He pursed those crooked lips and looked away; his bushy brows gathered threateningly over his eyes. “Very well. Consider your debt fifty percent repaid. We’ll talk about the other fifty percent later.”

“I warn you, I do not have any other siblings to offer up as collateral.”

“I understand.”

“Fine.” I rose, and was about to leave when I felt compelled to turn around; I did not like leaving him this way. “I do apologize for not telling you about Colonel Wood. I simply wanted, so much, for you to like me and sign me. I was afraid to bring anything up that might prevent that.”

“Vinnie, I liked you from the instant I saw you. I would have done anything to keep you from going off—I would do anything, still, to prevent that. Friends?”

He looked so kindly, so earnest—it always surprised me to see how open and honest his face was. One would expect the Great Barnum to have the best poker face in the world, but he did not. His genius lay not in concealing but in sharing—his enthusiasms, his opinions, his disappointments, even. That he did not always reveal all the facts of the matter was really a small quibble; the great thing about him was that he,