“Time for tea,” I said.
This time Mrs. McCreedy greeted us warmly. “I hope you don’t mind eating in the kitchen,” she said, “but it seemed rather silly to bring a tray all the way to the drawing room just for the three of us and the kitchen has a delightful view.”
So we followed her in the opposite direction from our last visit, down a long hallway and then through a traditional baize door that led to the servants’ quarters. The kitchen was a big light room with sparkling copper pans hanging over the stove and a large table in its center. There was a blue-and-white checked tablecloth on the table and a tray containing a simple blue-and-white tea service. Clearly she had decided that we were not fancy enough folks to warrant the good china. The whole place smelled delightfully of fresh baking.
“Sit yourselves down facing the window, so that you can enjoy the view,” she said.
“You’re right, it is lovely.” I took a seat, looking out over lawns to the ocean beyond. There was a sailing ship with red sails passing and a large steamer in the distance, heading out to sea.
“I’ll just cut the soda bread,” Mrs. McCreedy said and put it on the table. “There’s plenty of butter and homemade jam so help yourselves.”
“You have been busy,” I said.
“I certainly have. Eight bedrooms and a nursery to get ready, as well as all this,” she sounded proud but indignant.
“Eight bedrooms?” I said. “All those people are coming?”
“I’ve no idea how many of them will turn up. Nobody bothers to tell me. I was told the family would be coming so I was to get the house ready. And eight good bedrooms there are, so eight beds I’ve made. And all alone without a scrap of help too.”
“I thought you said that you brought in local women to help.”
“In the summer I do, but one is having a baby and another has her aged mother to nurse, and we were all caught off guard, weren’t we?”
“So a visit from the family is unexpected at this time of year?” I asked. I was still curious about exactly why Alderman Hannan had wanted Daniel to be at his summer home to coincide with his family. The timing couldn’t be accidental. If I was looking forward to a pleasant stay at the seaside with my family, the last thing I’d want was strangers on the premises. I looked up at Mrs. McCreedy, realizing that she was thinking along the same lines.
“It certainly is. They never come here after Labor Day as a rule. You could have knocked me down with a feather when the master wrote out of the blue and told me that the whole family was coming.”
“Is it some kind of anniversary then? Some kind of celebration?”
“Not that I know of.” She frowned. “There’s no family birthday in October. The master said something about Mr. Archie wanting to compete in a yacht race but the rest of them wouldn’t want to make the journey just to watch that, would they? It’s not as if they all live in New York either. Mr. Patrick has to come all the way from the Hudson Valley. That’s quite a trip for a couple of days by the sea.”
“Mr. Patrick, is he one of the brothers?” Daniel joined in the conversation, making me realize that he had kept quiet until now. “I don’t think I know about him. He’s not involved in the company?”
“Oh, no, sir.” She rolled her rs in that very Irish way. “Mr. Patrick’s a holy priest. He used to have a big parish in Albany but it was too much for his health and now he has a small country parish up on the Hudson somewhere. He never was as robust as Mr. Joseph and the master, so I understand.”
She poured cups of strong tea as she spoke and handed them to us, then passed around a plate of sliced bread. It was still warm and dotted liberally with currants. For a while there was silence.
“So which family members do you expect?” I asked. Daniel shot me a warning look as if I was being too nosy, but I suspected that Mrs. McCreedy liked to gossip and was starved for company.
“Well, let’s see,” she began easily enough, “the master and Mr. Joseph, that’s for sure.”
“And their wives?”
“Mr. Joseph’s wife rarely comes with him,” she said slowly. “Doesn’t like the ocean. And the master’s a widower. Been without a wife ever since I’ve known him. In fact he’s raised his one child alone since she was small. That’s probably why he doted on her so much and spoiled her if you ask me.”
“And who is she?”
“Miss Irene. She was a rare beauty in her time, and she’s married well too. Mr. Archie comes from one of the best families in New York. She’s done well for herself.”
I remembered the names on that monument. “Do they have any children?” I asked cautiously.
“Two little boys. Master Thomas and Master Alexander. Grand little fellows but full of mischief. Their nursemaid has her hands full with them, especially in a place like this.” She broke off, staring out of the window.