Sudden Pleasures

secrecy got to me. It's almost gone now.'

'I've got to fly to London. I'll be in England for the next two weeks,' he said.

'The wedding is in two weeks,' she reminded him.

'I'll be back Thursday of that week, Ash. You and Frankie behave yourselves while I'm gone, okay? She says she's coming out to the house this week to start setting everything up in the master suite. Am I going to like it?'

Ashley smiled. 'I think so,' she said. 'And if you don't we'll do it all over again,' she told him.

He laughed. 'Hey, babe, just because you and I are rich doesn't mean we should waste money. Just as long as Frankie hasn't done it up all Laura Ashley. I'm not much for flowers and butterflies.'

'Oh, no!' Ashley gasped. 'You don't like flowers and butterflies?'

He laughed again. 'Nice try, but I'm not buying it, Ash.'

She giggled. 'It'll be very unisex,' she assured him. 'But remember, we're sharing, and it can't be all Ralph Lauren and leather, Ryan. What are you doing in England?'

'There are some house auctions I want to go to in London and out in some of the counties. Sometimes I buy; sometimes I just photograph details for the reproduction business. The newly rich want it authentic, even if they aren't quite certain what authentic is at first. They do learn,' he said dryly. 'And they expect value for their money. Our work isn't cheap, and we use the best materials. I think I may have found a new source for clock corners and drawer pulls up in York. They claim to have the original molds. I'll know when I see them. I can't just take anyone's word.'

'When are you going?' Ashley wanted to know.

'Tonight,' he said.

'Travel safe then,' she said.

'Thanks. You take care now,' he replied.

'I will. Thanks for calling.'

'Yeah. Bye.' And the phone clicked off.

Geez, Ashley thought. Could their good-byes have been any more impersonal? She lay back, but as she did she noticed that the pain had gone. But she knew she would have to relax for the rest of the day and evening. August was never the busiest month in the shop. But this week she had to go over the new catalog proofs. They would be waiting on her office computer for an okay. The printer would have to do a runoff this week if the catalog was going to be out on time. Then the pages needed to be bound and put in their envelopes for mailing at the end of September if they were going to get the Christmas orders out on time. She would have to do it tomorrow. Frankie was coming out on Wednesday.

She had seen Ryan's mother and youngest sister since that initial meeting several weeks ago. She had spoken at length with Frankie several times as they discussed what they were going to do in the master suite. Her sister- in-law-to-be arrived at nine thirty on a rainy morning, roaring up to the house in a sporty little red Miata. Byrnes was immediately outside with an umbrella to escort her into the house.

'Miss Ashley is waiting in the breakfast room,' Byrnes said as he led her to it.

'Good morning,' Ashley said, coming forward to greet her guest. They kissed. 'How about some coffee or tea?' she asked.

'I don't suppose you have a cappuccino on you?' Frankie said.

'Byrnes, would you see to it, please?' Ashley said.

'You're kidding!' Frankie said as she sat down.

'We're very accommodating here at Kimbrough Hall.' Ashley grinned.

'I'll say!' Her eye lit on a plate on the table.

'They were baked this morning,' Ashley told her. 'In your honor. Ryan told me how much you loved bialys.'

'Can I live here?' Frankie said, smiling. 'Please?'

Byrnes returned with a cappuccino and set it before the guest. Then he disappeared.

'Cappucino and a fresh-baked bialy,' Frankie said. 'I'm in heaven.' She sipped, and then she took a nibble of her bialy. 'Every bit as good as Rome!' she pronounced.

'You can tell Mrs. B. She'll be delighted,' Ashley said.

'Ryan flew to England last night,' Frankie said as she ate.

'I know. He called me to tell me.' Ashley sipped her black tea. She always had black tea for breakfast the morning after a tension headache.

'Wow! He's getting thoughtful. Even Ma doesn't always know when he's going off,' Frankie said. 'I called his cell last night to yak, and he was at Kennedy waiting to board. I had to remind him to give her a jingle. So, tell me. No cold feet yet?'

'I can't afford cold feet,' Ashley admitted. 'Your brother seems like a nice guy, and at least he isn't after my money. We'll do fine.'

'Have you signed the prenups yet?'

'Yes, last week,' Ashley said.

'Ryan hasn't told Ma yet that this is only a business arrangement,' Frankie said. 'She thinks it's like when she and Da got matched up by the priest, and married. She just got the invitation Saturday, and wondered why you're not getting married in a church.'

'Ryan has to explain that to her,' Ashley said. 'Lina is his mother, not mine. It isn't my place, Frankie.'

'I know. But he isn't going to explain it to her. He doesn't want to understand that she thinks this is a till- death-do-you-part marriage,' Frankie said. 'An arranged marriage she understands, but not a marriage of convenience with an out clause.'

'What am I supposed to do then?' Ashley asked, slightly irritated. This was just the kind of situation her brother would have fostered. Why were men such jerks about stuff like this? But they were. Honesty really was the best policy.

'Look, I'm staying a few days. Could you invite Ma out to lunch the last day I'm here? And I'll help you talk to her when she asks, because she will.'

Ashley considered. Lina Mulcahy had welcomed her warmly. If Ryan wasn't going to explain the situation to his mother, she really owed it to her future mother-in-law to tell her that the marriage between heR &Ryan, while legal, wouldn't last, because they were marrying just to save their asses. 'I could send Byrnes in for her on Saturday, and then she can ride back with you later that day.'

'Would you?' Frankie sounded relieved.

'Of course. I'll have Mrs. B. do us a nice lunch, give Lina a tour of the house and the gardens. And we'll talk. I like your mother, Frankie. But I don't want her laboring under any illusions about this marriage.'

'Do you think you could fall in love with my brother?' Frankie asked.

Ashley felt her cheeks growing warm. What was it about these Mulcahys that they could make her blush?

'Aha!' Frankie exclaimed. 'Maybe you could.'

'I don't know,' Ashley admitted. 'I've never been very good at picking men, but I do know your brother and I seem to have a sexual attraction toward each other.'

'Ohh,' Frankie said softly. 'Have you done the deed then? I've heard rumors from some of his old girlfriends that he's very good in bed.'

'No, we haven't slept together,' Ashley said. 'Not that he hasn't tried, but I'm not really into sleeping around. Oh, I did with two of my fiances, and look how that ended up. I'm taking no chances this time. Do you know what they call me around here? The Bad-luck Bride. Well, I can't get jinxed this time. Besides, in the agreement we signed, sex between us is optional.'

Frankie laughed. 'You put that in the prenup?' she said.

'No, we have a small binding legal agreement in addition about what we can and can't do or have, where we live and entertain, et cetera,' Ashley explained. 'We needed to iron out the details of the little stuff, since this marriage is only so we don't lose our inheritances. It's all legal, and no one can say we aren't married. Neither of the wills involved said we had to marry for love or any other reason. They just said we had to be married.'

'But you think Ryan is hot?' Frankie persisted.