Read Online Home of the Brave by Jeffry Hepple - Free Book Online

you
remember?”
    She shook her head. “No. I
don’t remember ever living in a hotel.”
    “It wasn’t a hotel then.
John Tayloe built this house and the five houses next door right
after the war, speculating on a boom. The White House was being
rebuilt so President Madison was living in Tayloe’s Octagon House
and using it as the Executive Mansion. Your mother and I bought
this house from John before it was even finished to express our
gratitude for his generosity. We rented it as a hotel after I was
transferred back to the Northwest.”
    “John Tayloe could afford to
be generous,” she said.
    “Why are you holding your
wet coat and hat?” He pointed to a rack that stood near the
fireplace.
    She hesitated then hung them
up.
    “The family wants to buy it
back,” Yank said.
    “What family wants to buy
what?”
    “The Tayloe family wants to
buy this house.”
    “Have they made you a
reasonable offer?” She looked quickly around the lobby then sat
down in the wingchair across from him.
    “Yes. A very good
offer.”
    “Then why don’t you sell
it?”
    He chuckled. “False
sentimentality. I thought it might be important to my family to
keep it. But if you don’t even remember living here…”
    “I remember now. It looked
very different then. So did the neighborhood. Everything has
changed.”
    “Yes, I suppose it has.” He
waited for her to reply, then after quite a long silence, leaned
forward. “Did you come to see me or do you have other business
here, Anna?”
    “No, I didn’t come to see
you.” She shook her head. “I didn’t even know you were in
Washington.”
    “I told you, but it must
have slipped your mind.”
    She glanced at the clock in
the corner, squirmed uncomfortably and then looked around the room
again nervously.
    “What?” Yank asked, trying
to read her facial expression. “Is something wrong?”
    “I’m just surprised to see
you here; that’s all.”
    He was puzzled by her
demeanor. “Am I disrupting your plans by being here?”
    “No. I’m meeting - some
people,” she said after a long moment. “Umm. To discuss the results
of the Electoral College.”
    “Oh? When’s that supposed to
be official?”
    “It’s official,” Anna said
unhappily. “Andrew Jackson is the president-elect and John Calhoun
will be his vice-president.”
    “What was the electoral
count?” Yank asked.
    “A hundred and seventy-eight
for Jackson and a hundred and seventy-one for Calhoun.” She cocked
her head to the side. “That’s why you’re here in Washington, isn’t
it? To meet Jackson.”
    “No. As far as I know,
President-elect Jackson is still at the Hermitage in Tennessee. I’m
here to meet your brother. He’s been promoted to major and being
transferred to Buffalo.”
    “Jack is?”
    “Yes. Who else?”
    “I have four brothers in
uniform.”
    “But only one of them is a
captain who might be promoted to major.”
    “When are meeting him?” she
said, ignoring his comment.
    “In the morning. If you’re
not busy, I’m sure he’d be happy to…”
    “I am,” she interrupted.
“Busy, that is.”
    “Are you and Jack still at
odds?”
    “No. I just have a previous
engagement.”
    They looked up as a woman
with snow white hair suddenly appeared. “There you are, John,” the
woman said. “I’ve looked everywhere for you. You were completely
hidden from sight by that enormous chair.”
    “Oh, sorry.” Yank stood up.
“Mrs. Annabelle Priest, may I introduce my daughter, Anna Van
Buskirk.”
    “How do you do,” Annabelle
said, smiling broadly.
    Anna raised her left eyebrow
and did not return the smile. “Charmed.”
    Yank chuckled. “You must
have forgotten, Anna. It was Annabelle and her brother James
Winslow who saved my life after I was left for dead at Fort
Detroit. I’m sure you’ve heard their names before, many
times.”
    “Why is that a laughing
matter?” Anna asked.
    “I was laughing in
embarrassment at the way you raised your eyebrow,” Yank