Chapter 4

I heard nothing further from any of the Dunleavy's for another week. I had started putting the whole idea of an arranged marriage out of my mind. I was eating a late breakfast, after going out with some friends the evening before, when I heard the telephone ringing. My sister had answered it, and I heard her calling down the stairs for me to pick up the phone.

"Mr. Twain, this is Constance Sheridan, calling for Mr. Dunleavy. He was hoping you might spare him an hour, this coming Wednesday. He has a morning opening at nine, and then another, at one in the afternoon. Would either of those times be convenient for you?"

"I had planned on taking my brother up to visit my alma mater on Wednesday, Miss Sheridan. For some reason he thinks he might prefer Yale to Brown. I was hoping to dissuade him from this error." I was just playing with her, but I didn't appreciate such an abrupt summons from on high either.

"Is there another day, this week, that would be more convenient for you?"

"Depending on social opportunities that might develop for over the weekend, Friday might be feasible. Nine or ten in the morning would be preferable for me."

"Mr. Dunleavy has an opening at ten o'clock on Friday. Can we set that up for that time, Mr. Twain?"

"Friday at ten looks good at the moment, but this is still subject to any social plans for the weekend interfering. If that should happen, I'll be certain to call and cancel."

We ended the conversation with me being well pleased with how it had gone. This pleased feeling lasted only for about two minutes before the phone started ringing once more. Since I was near the phone anyway, I answered.

"Twain residence. Kevin speaking."

"Are you trying to see how angry you can make me?" I recognized the voice straightaway.

"Is that you, Mr. Dunleavy?"

"Connie told me about you giving her the run around about setting up another meeting. I won't have it. Do you hear me, mister?"

"I gave Miss Sheridan my reasons for not being able to meet with you on Wednesday. Where my brother goes to school is important to me. He's been accepted at several good schools, but rather than picking one of them, he's thinking about traipsing off to Yale."

"I graduated from Yale, Kevin."

"Did you? How interesting. I matriculated at Brown, and was quite pleased with my choice."

"Friday doesn't work for me, young man. Wednesday does work. You can change your plans around for taking your brother to look at Brown's campus. What we have to discuss is more important for both our futures."

"I'm available on Friday, early, or tomorrow all day. The rest of the week, I have other commitments."

"If you have any hope at all of getting this deal done, Wednesday is the only day I'm willing to meet with you. Your decision, Kevin."

"I'm going to be with my brother on Wednesday. Everything for our visit has already been arranged. I'm sorry your schedule is inflexible, but I do understand. You'll make sure that Miss Sheridan knows not to expect me on Friday then?"

As soon as I got off the phone, I went looking for my brother upstairs in his bedroom. When I told him that I wanted to take him on a tour of the Brown University campus, he refused, stating that he'd decided not to consider any other school but Yale.

Minutes after I gave up on getting my brother to go to Providence with me, my phone once again rang. This time it was Joanne calling.

"What did you say to get Daddy so upset? I couldn't understand half the things he was yelling about you over the phone. He said something about Yale, then was off ranting about a bunch of other things I couldn't follow. Did you say something mean about Yale? I hope not, because he'll never forgive you if you did."

"I didn't say anything bad about Yale. I did mention that my brother was offered placement with a lot of good schools, but rather than accept any of those offers, he was planning to go to Yale instead." I laughed when I said this to her. I heard her laughing on her end as well.