Hush Now, Don't You Cry(16)

“What the deuce?” The man looked as startled as I did. “What is going on here?”

Daniel had stirred and grunted in his sleep at the bright light in his face. Now he sat up suddenly at the sound of a strange voice. “What’s all this?” he demanded.

My first thought was that the man was Alderman Hannan in person, but that notion was dispelled when he roared, “Who the devil are you?”

“I could ask you the same thing, sir.” Daniel was now wide awake and in fighting spirit. “Or do you make a point of bursting into people’s bedrooms in the middle of the night?”

“As to that, I am Joseph Hannan, and you are trespassing on my family’s property. Thought the place would be empty for the winter and you’d have a nice quiet spot to entertain your fancy girl, did you, my boy?”

Daniel got out of bed and took a step toward Joseph Hannan. He was several inches taller and stood face-to-face with the man. “In the first place she’s my wife and not my ‘fancy girl,’ as you so crudely put it,” he said. “In the second my name is Daniel Sullivan and I am here as a guest of Alderman Brian Hannan, whom I was expecting to see tomorrow.”

“My brother didn’t let me know that there would be any outsiders present,” Joseph said, sounding a trifle defensive now.

“Ask him yourself if you doubt my credibility,” Daniel said. “But I can assure you that if I wanted a few days away with my wife, the last thing I’d consider doing is sneaking into someone else’s house when I can afford to pay for a perfectly good hotel.”

“Then may I ask why my brother invited you to come here at the same time as the family? You’re not some relative I don’t know about, are you? Some lost kin from Ireland he’s tracked down? He never invites outsiders.”

“He was doing me a good turn. I was at a meeting with him the other day and he heard that I’d had to abandon my honeymoon after only a couple of days due to urgent business in New York. So he most kindly offered me the use of his guest cottage.”

“But surely not at a time when the family was coming?”

“I think he assumed that the family would stay at the main house,” Daniel said.

Joseph scowled. “Damned inconsiderate of him. He knows I often choose to get away from the others and have the guest cottage to myself.”

I thought I witnessed the shadow in the background start to tiptoe back down the stairs. And I remembered Mrs. McCreedy saying that Joseph Hannan rarely brought his wife with him. He’s got a lady friend in tow, I thought with a smile. That’s why he’s come up early and wants the privacy of the guest cottage. Joseph Hannan noticed my expression and annoyance flushed across his face.

“The family wasn’t expected until tomorrow,” Daniel said. “At least that is what Mrs. McCreedy told us.”

“Then my brother is not here yet? I was hoping for a word with him before the hordes descend. It’s downright impossible to talk to the man in New York, now he’s rushing all over the place with his political aspirations, leaving me to run the business alone.”

He stood scowling at us.

“There must be more to this. My brother is not noted for his generosity to outsiders. Something to do with Tammany Hall, maybe. He wants to make sure he can sway the election his way.” He studied Daniel’s face. “Am I close to the mark? You’ve influence at Tammany and he wants you to get him votes?”

Daniel said nothing so Joseph Hannan went on. “That would be more like Brian than a simple act of kindness to a newly married couple.”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself,” Daniel said.

“I will, as soon as he damn well gets here,” Joseph said. “You can bet your boots I will. He’s not the only Hannan brother, you know. Damned dictator—summoning us all here, as if we were his lackeys. And it’s bad enough having the whole family present without a horde of outsiders.” He paused, looking from Daniel to me.

“So I suppose I’ll have to rethink my plans for tonight,” he said as neither of us showed any inclination to move.

“I gather there are two bedrooms,” Daniel said. “You’re more than welcome to the other one.”

Joseph Hannan took a belligerent step forward then thought better of it. “Downright inconvenient,” he said. “I don’t like having my plans upset. It’s too bad of my brother. Never bothers to consult the rest of the family about a damned thing.”

Daniel just stood there, arms folded.

“Mrs. McCreedy has all the beds made up and ready in the main house,” Daniel said. “I don’t know whether she’ll be sleeping there tonight, but as you’re a family member, I’m sure you’ll have a key. Now if you don’t mind, my wife and I would like to go back to sleep.”