"Father Clifford thinks temptation is a chocolate bar!" chortled Brian as he watched Niamh carrying Kieran through the doorway of his new Chinese restaurant. "Ah, Ms Power, this is my daughter and grandson just arriving, I'm sorry we'll have to wrap up the interview. You don't mind do you? Feel free to order some food, write a review, you know you want to!"
He got up from the table and set about taking Kieran from his mother's arms as Carmel expressed her thanks and left.
"What was that all about?" Asked Niamh.
"How's my little man today?" Said Brian to Kieran. "He's growing big and strong, yes he is!"
"Dad?" Niamh had that tone that said she wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Oh just some journalist. I hoped she'd write us a glowing review but she's more interested in your one up the road."
"Who?" she followed her father's glance. "Assumpta? Why?"
Brian just looked at her for a long moment. "You might want to warn her to watch herself. That's all I'm saying."
Niamh presented Brain with a bag of baby gear. "I'll be back for him later. Watch him for me." And she strode back out of the restaurant without so much as a backwards glance.
"Ah Niamh, c'mon! I'm working here!" Objected Brian uselessly to the closing door.
In the distance Niamh could see the form of Father Mac leaving Fitzgerald's and her sense of foreboding increased. By the time she reached the door he had driven away in his car. She tried the handle and found it locked. She knocked on the window.
"Assumpta, it's Niamh, let me in!"
Nothing happened.
"Assumpta, I know you're in there and I will just go and get my key..."
The door opened a crack.
"Niamh, it's not really a good time."
Niamh pushed her way in. "What's going on? There's a journalist asking questions, Father Mac... your crying." Niamh stopped mid flow, now really concerned.
"I'm not. I was just... chopping onions."
"Oh yeah? Father Mac helping in the kitchen was he?"
"Niamh, I'm OK, I just want to be left alone."
"No."
"No?"
"No I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what is going on. I want the truth."
"It's none of your business!"
"None of my business? I'm your best friend, and you're clearly in some sort of trouble. I'm worried about you. Is it Leo, has he done something?... You've not gone bankrupt have you?"
"No, no, it's not Leo. And I'm not bankrupt. Not yet anyway." conceded Assumpta, relenting a little.
"Then what?"
Assumpta looked down at her feet, then out of the street and sighed.
"I suppose you're going to find out sooner or later."
She locked the front door behind them.
"Come and sit in the kitchen. I think tea is called for. Or maybe something stronger..."
Tea was poured and Assumpta busied herself offering cake. Niamh looked at the enormous slice of death-by-chocolate on Assumpta's plate and remarked ,"It really must be bad, I've not seen you eat cake like that since my hardly-a-wedding-reception.".
Assumpta took an indulgent mouthful.
"Mmm. Believe me, I've been eating so much of this cake behind closed doors it's a wonder I'm not the size of a bus."
"And I thought you were just a social cake-eater! What else have you been keeping from me?"
Assumpta took a deep breath and looked at her friend. For some reason she found it hard to hold Niamh's penetrating gaze.
"I'm not sure where to start. It's not easy."
"The beginning?"
"The beginning. Well, do you remember telling me I only wanted the ones I couldn't have?"
And now Assumpta did meet Niamh's eye and it was a meaningful look.
Niamh's spoon hung halfway to her lips. She gaped as reality began to dawn. And then a look of horror began to crystallise.
"You didn't! Assumpta! He's a priest!"
"You think I don't know that? You think that fact hasn't dawned on me?"
"How could you?"
"Well I...I..."
"And what about Leo? Is that why he left?" A shocking thought suddenly occurred to Niamh. She dropped the spoon. "Did he catch you two...?"
"Now hang on a minute! No-one said anything about us doing anything! How could you think I would, that we would...?"
"Well I don't know what to think, the way you've been behaving lately. What is going on then?"
Assumpta looked down at her fingers. "Peter and I..., Peter is leaving the priesthood." She looked briefly up at Niamh to gauge her reaction.
Niamh was still looking pretty horrified. After a long moment she found her voice and asked "For you?".
Assumpta chewed her lip. "Yes, for me. He loves me, apparently." She blushed and a small smile escaped, even under Niamh's disapproving gaze. "Though heaven knows why."
"Do you love him?"
Assumpta nodded slightly. "Yes, yes I do." And slowly she found the strength to look her friend in the eye. "Always have."
Niamh let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. A sense of resignation took hold of her. "Oh God, Assumpta. He's the best priest we ever had!"
"Well I happen to think so."
"I know he loves you though. You should have seen his face, the day I told him you'd got married."
"You told him?"
"Sorry. He wheedled it out of me. He looked absolutely crushed. I felt awful."
"Well that explains his reaction a bit I suppose."
Niamh picked up her spoon and jabbed it in Assumpta's direction "You'd better not let him down or you'll have me to answer to."
"I won't let him down. This is different."
"Is that what you said to Leo? Because you did let him down."
"I know... I should never have married him."
"Then why did you?"
"I was confused. Struggling with my feelings for Peter and I thought it was hopeless. I wanted to move on. Make a new start. Get over him. I thought that being married to someone else would answer the 'will we or won't we' question once and for all and make things easier. But it just made things worse."
"And you never said a thing."
"What was I supposed to say? 'Oh Niamh, I think I'm falling in love with the curate.'?"
"And there was I setting you up with all the eligible men I could find! I feel so stupid."
"You meant well. I always knew that and I didn't want to be in love with Peter anyway. It wasn't as if he was available. He couldn't have been less available."
"So what happened?"
"I don't really know. He's been different since he got back this time. He's been all over the place, emotionally, but he finally told me how he felt, yesterday, and he's made his decision. He wants to be with me. Whatever it takes."
Niamh looked worried.
"You don't think it's just a reaction to his Mother's death do you?"
"I hope not. I don't know what I'll do if he changes his mind."
Assumpta began to look so distressed that Niamh reached out and took her hand. "I'm sure I'm wrong." She said.
They sat in silence for a minute. Then Niamh asked, "When I arrived, you were crying and Father Mac had just left. Did he say something to you?"
"Oh yeah, yeah he had a lot to say, but nothing I couldn't handle." She forced a smile.
"Why the tears then?"
"Oh, he said Peter hadn't been to see him this morning. I... I just got worried that he hasn't really made up his mind. But that's stupid. I trust him. I do."
"So where is he now, the lucky man?"
"Oh, he had some sort of plan for getting that journalist off our backs. He rushed off after Padraig."
"The same journalist who was at my Dad's? I didn't like the look of her. And she wants to expose you?"
"It looks that way."
"Well Dad didn't tell her anything. I heard him say that 'Father Clifford thinks temptation is a chocolate bar' or some such."
Assumpta managed a laugh. "Who'd've thought it? Brian Quigley my staunch defender! Ah, I bet the scandal would be bad for business! Next you'll be telling me Kathleen has given us her blessing."
Niamh smirked, "I doubt that somehow! But how did this journalist get hold of the story in the first place?"
"Lucky guess we think, either that or someone around here has mind-reading equipment."
Assumpta looked at her friend seriously and began again.
"Niamh, I'm really sorry. I'm not sure what all this means for Kieran's christening. I'm not sure Peter will be allowed to do it."
She watched Niamh apprehensively as evident disappointment played on her face. Niamh then made a brave face and said sorrowfully "Oh well, if he can't he can't. We'll just have to find another priest.".
"I'm sure he'll be really disappointed." said Assumpta gently "I'm sure he'll do everything he can, it's just whether Father Mac will let him,... and whether you still want him, knowing what you do."
"Oh we'll still want him. He's the one that brought us back together. Without him there'd be no Kieran!"
Assumpta smiled sadly. "He really was a good priest, wasn't he?"
