Sudden Pleasures

marriage we are contracting. It is a marriage of convenience. Both Ryan and I are faced with the possibility of losing our individual inheritances unless we are married by a certain age. That's the only reason we are getting married. We have both signed prenuptial agreements, and a separate agreement spelling out how we will conduct ourselves during our marriage.

'We are not getting married in church, or by a priest of either your denomination or mine, because the marriage will last only two years. If either of us should fall in love one day we want to be free to start fresh not just legally, but spiritually. I'm sorry that Ryan did not explain this to you. I don't know if he was embarrassed or afraid. I hope you will forgive him, and I hope you will forgive me,' Ashley concluded.

'How will you be married then?' Angelina wanted to know. She had grown pale.

'Judge Palmer will marry us. It will be a civil ceremony- quite legal in this or any other state,' Ashley explained. 'Ryan's inheritance and mine will then be secured.'

'That such a thing should be,' Angelina said. 'I can't come.'

'Ma!' Frankie exclaimed. 'Don't be so damned dramatic. What do you mean, you can't come? It's Ryan's wedding.'

'It's a business arrangement,' Angelina said, 'and no true marriage. How can I approve such a thing, Francesca? Tell me how I can salve my conscience?'

'Enough with the religious fervor,' Frankie said. 'You know damned well that Dad wouldn't have had a twentieth of what he left if it hadn't been for Ryan. He could have gone to Wall Street and made a fortune, but instead he made Dad a multimillionaire. And Dad saw that you were lavishly provided for, and all his daughters given generous cash inheritances, but he couldn't die without dictating to Ryan from beyond the grave, could he? Ryan had to get married. Had to carry on the grand Mulcahy name or he would lose everything. Well, it stinks, Ma.

'You're the one who said to me that we couldn't let the others take R &R away from Ryan. You're the one who went to Ray Pietro d'Angelo and told him to find Ryan a wife. Well, he did, and now you aren't satisfied because it won't be a real marriage. What do you want, Ma? You want my sisters to sell Ryan's business-yes, damn it, Ryan's business-to Jerry Klein? Sure, Jerry wants the R &R name and reputation, but he'll run it into the ground for a tax loss as quick as he can. That's what you want because Ryan and Ashley won't get married in the church and have a real marriage?'

'I want my son to have what your father and I had,' Angelina said.

'And what the hell was that?' her daughter demanded.

'Frankie, please, your mom is upset, and I can understand.' Ashley tried to mediate between the two.

'Your father and I were married in the church, the way people should be,' Angelina said. 'We had a real marriage with children, not a business arrangement. I wanted Ray to find a nice girl from the old country. Italy or Ireland.'

'Wake up, Ma! There are no nice girls from the old country. It's one great big rock-and-roll, drugged-out, money-is-God world now. Ray found your son the perfect match. For God's sake, be satisfied and accept what's happening. You don't come to the wedding and my sisters are sure as hell going to attempt legal action to get their hands on Ryan's business by yelling fraud. You really want that, Ma?'

But before Angelina could answer her daughter, Ashley spoke up. 'Lina, look, I wouldn't tell Ryan this for fear of scaring him, but I really like your son. I am very attracted to him, and I think that just maybe he might like me too. I've never really had a lot of luck picking my own men, but I didn't find Ryan all by myself, did I? No. Ray and Joe Pietro d'Angelo got us together. And so far, so good. We're approaching this marriage of convenience cautiously, and the honest truth is that each of us wants an out just in case it doesn't work for us on a personal level. But I think it might, and Frankie, if you say one word to your brother I will know it, and I swear I will kill you! Yes, we're putting the cart before the horse by getting married before we know each other. But didn't you and your husband do that too? Your priest put you together, and you didn't question it. You got married and made a go of it. Actually, I'm in a much better position than Ryan. I don't turn thirty-five for almost a year and a half. I have time. But Ryan is forty in seven months. He doesn't have time to look for the right girl. Even if you sent to Italy or Ireland for a bride you couldn't get her here in time, with all the immigration fuss and getting her papers. And wouldn't that give your other daughters more of an opening to go after Ryan legally? They would say he was marrying a girl like that just to protect his inheritance. True, his father's will didn't make any conditions for his marrying. It just said he had to be married by forty. They actually don't have a leg to stand on, Lina, but they would still try. But when he marries me they can't say anything, no matter what they may think, because they won't know this is a marriage of convenience.'

Angelina Mulcahy was silent for a long few moments. And then she said, 'You like him, cara ?”

'Yes, I do,' Ashley said, and she felt her cheeks growing warm. 'He's smart, and he's funny, and he can make me blush.'

'And he tried to get her into bed, Ma, but she told him not until they are married,' Frankie put in with a mischievous grin.

Angelina nodded slowly. 'He likes her,' she said.

'More than I think he realizes, Ma,' Frankie responded. 'You know, with Ryan the business is everything. And Ashley is probably the only woman in the world who can understand that, understand him. It really is a match made in heaven, even if it isn't celebrated in the church.'

'Please come to the wedding, Lina,' Ashley said.

'I'll come,' Angelina Mulcahy said, 'but only on one condition.'

Ashley and Frankie looked to her anxiously.

'That when my stupido son realizes he loves you, you get married again by a priest in the church,' she told her son's fiancee.

'Of course we will,' Ashley said quickly. 'I don't really remember my own mother, but I know she would have wanted the same thing of us, Lina. When Ryan decides we should make this a permanent arrangement then we will do this for ourselves, our children, and to make you happy.'

'Luncheon is served,' Byrnes said, stepping out onto the porch.

'Show Mrs. Mulcahy where she may freshen up, Byrnes,' Ashley said. 'Then join us back here for some food, Lina. It's a very light meal, but it's so lovely out here.'

Byrnes led the older woman off.

Frankie turned to Ashley. 'You handled Ma nicely, Ash.'

'I meant what I said,' Ashley told her. 'If your brother decides he wants to make this marriage of convenience a permanent thing, then if it will make your mother happy I'll get the priest. In fact, I'll get two. I'll want my guy in on this also. And I want your mother's friendship, Frankie. I like her, and I like you.'

By the time Angelina had returned to join them, Byrnes had set up a small table on the porch and covered it with an embroidered linen cloth. There were plates and glasses and silverware. And when he had seated the trio he offered them iced tea or lemonade, both of which had been freshly made.

'I'd do wine, but Frankie has to drive you back,' Ashley said.

Each plate that Byrnes placed before the women held a small fresh fruit salad and a chicken salad sandwich on a little freshly baked soft roll. When they had finished the butler quickly cleared the plates, replacing each of them with another plate that held a slice of warm blueberry bread pudding with a mini scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. Byrnes saw that the glasses were always filled during the course of the meal.

When they had finished Angelina Mulcahy said quietly as she laid her napkin aside, 'You do not have to learn to cook, cara . Your Mrs. B. is a treasure.'