Irving Wallace - The Golden Room

'You mean stay locked up all tomorrow evening?'

'Not quite,' said Minna. 'We can go about our normal activity. But the minute that Edmund welcomes the Armbrusters in the entry hall, he can leave them a moment and rush in to Professor Vanderpool at the piano. You know all those music cues, those codes, we gave him to play when he wants to warn us of danger? Well, when the Armbrusters arrive, let him play "More Work for the Undertaker." That

will be the song that tells us the Armbrusters are here. Wherever you and I are, we'll hear it played and hurry into the study. When the coast is clear, Professor Vanderpool is to play it again. How does that sound?'

Aida was mollified. 'It sounds foolproof.'

'It is,' said Minna, 'so don't worry. Let the Armbrusters come and go. The reputation of Cathleen and Bruce Lester won't be damaged. I give you my word.'

At noon the following day, Bruce Lester had gone in search of Karen. He found her setting tables in the restaurant.

He went to her. 'Karen, have you got a moment?'

'Time on my hands,' she said. 'I have no real work until supper this evening.'

'Good. Can we have a word outside?'

Puzzled, Karen accompanied Bruce out of the restaurant. In the hallway she said, 'We can talk here.'

'It's nothing earth-shaking, just something to feed my curiosity.'

'About what?'

'My aunts' home here,' said Bruce. 'I've never had a real look at it. Whenever I ask Aunt Minna to show me around, she always says she's too busy, and so is Aida. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not. Anyway, I'd like to see the place. Since Minna and Aida are still asleep, I thought you could guide me through the mansion.'

Karen was immediately reluctant. 'It's not my house. I'm not certain I can do that.'

Bruce persisted. 'I'm sure there is nothing to hide. Unless you know of something.'

Torn between loyalty to Minna and Aida and the desire to please Bruce, Karen said hesitantly, 'Of course, I don't know their home as well as they do. But I've been all through it a number of times, and I could show you whatever I know.'

'That's all I want,' said Bruce. 'It's such a tremendous place for two small ladies, I'd like to see what they did with it. You don't mind?'

'Well, I suppose it's all right,' said Karen, taking Bruce by the hand. 'We can start with the library Minna is so proud of.'

She directed Bruce past the restaurant and into the library.

Bruce surveyed the library. 'All this intellect intimidates me,' he admitted.

'It is intimidating,' agreed Karen. 'Minna has over 3,000 books here. Look at that complete collection of Shelley. Over there, nineteen volumes of Chinese poems. Next to them, Guy de Maupassant. A complete collection of Edgar Allen Poe. Minna told me that Poe was a relative of hers on her mother's side.'

'I never knew that.'

'Did you know your Aunt Minna is writing a book of her own?' said Karen. 'She even discussed it with me. It's to be called Poets, Prophets and Gods.''

Bruce shook his head in wonder. 'Minna's brother, my father… I always thought he was the big brain in the family. I think I can say now that Aunt Minna is at least equal to him.'

As they left the library, Karen suggested that they skip the Art Gallery. 'Not my strong area,' she said. 'I only know the reproduction of Bernini's Apollo and Daphne. I don't know the paintings at all. Want to go to Minna's favourite retreat -the Gold Room?'

'You mean the one with the small pure gold piano and the gold cuspidors?' said Bruce. 'I've already seen it. I can't imagine anything gaudier.'

Karen laughed. 'Well, start imagining,' she said, leading him past the Gold Room. 'Have you seen the Copper Room?'

'No, but I'd like to.'

Karen led him into the Copper Room. The walls were panelled in copper and hammered brass. The furniture was made of Arabian brass. In the centre was a mahogany table with a table top made of Italian marble. All around the chamber were cages of yellow canaries singing in full voice.

They went on to the Rose Room, with its rococo pink wall hangings and its scattering of rounded easy chairs and divans upholstered in pale-pink silk damask.

Next, they came to the Grand Ballroom, dominated by a massive chandelier of cut-glass drops, shedding light on a hardwood floor made of rare woods in mosaic patterns.

'There's more?' asked Bruce with amazement, as they resumed walking.

'Here's the Chinese Room,' said Karen.

Bruce studied the Oriental hangings and draperies. In the middle of the chamber he saw a teak table holding an oversized brass beaker filled with packages wrapped in red tissue. 'What's this?' he inquired.

Karen started to explain that it was used by the girls, then caught herself. 'Those packages are Chinese firecrackers. When diners come in here for champagne, your Aunt Minna sets a few of them off. If they make more noise than the pulling of a champagne cork, Minna gives the diner a – a playful kiss on the cheek.'

'That's an unusual game,' said Bruce.

They went on to the Moorish Room. It was furnished with deep African couches and the fountain sprayed a musky, intoxicating perfume. 'Your Aunt Minna likes to open boxes of live butterflies.'

Involuntarily, Bruce was shaking his head. He pointed to folding doors leading to another chamber. 'What's that?' he asked.

'To be perfectly frank, I don't know,' said Karen. 'I've never been inside it. Shall we have a look?'

'Why not?'

Karen opened the doors and showed Bruce inside. 'Heavens,' she gasped. 'The entire floor is mirrored.'

'Astonishing.'

'I've heard of a Mirror Room,' said Karen. 'This must be it.'

She walked past Bruce inside the chamber, going gingerly over the mirrored floor, and stopped, fascinated by the mirrors beneath her feet.

Bruce was looking at Karen. His eyes went downwards to the hem of her skirt and the tops of her shoes.

'Karen,' he called out. 'I can see what you're wearing underneath your skirt.'

'What do you mean?'

'You're… you're wearing a lace-trimmed chemise beneath your corset.' He gulped. 'It separates but covers you between your legs.'

'My God!' Karen exclaimed. She came off the mirrored floor as fast as if she'd been walking barefooted on burning coals. At the door, she brought her hand to her mouth. 'What can a floor like that be doing in your aunts' home?'

'Or for that matter, what's a restaurant doing here?'

Bruce took Karen by the arm as they walked away. He was lost in thought.

'You know, Karen, I'm not sure this is Aunt Minna's and Aunt Aida's home,' Bruce finally said. 'It's more like a house.'

'A house?' Karen repeated. 'What do you mean?'

'I mean,' said Bruce, 'once in Louisville I was taken to a house. It was not as classy or large as this one, but almost as luxurious. It was a house of ill fame, Karen. This resembles it. You know, a house is not always a home.'

'Bruce! Do you know what you're saying?'

'I'm not really sure,' Bruce said.

'Well, don't say it, please don't say it!'

At nine o'clock that evening in the Everleigh Club, the Armbrusters, father and son, the latter uneasy in his woollen brown suit and bow tie, had finished their supper.

Harold Armbruster felt relaxed, expansive, as he continued to ply Alan with champagne.

Armbruster had advised his son to eat lightly and drink heavily to overcome his nervousness. They'd both dined on roast chicken, and now Armbruster sat back to enjoy a cigar and watch Alan steadily sipping the champagne.

'Quite a place, this Everleigh Club,' Armbruster admitted.

'Yes.'

'No one ever told me a whorehouse could look anything like this. I bet the girls are just as beautiful.'

Alan made one last effort at resistance. 'Father, I don't have to do this. I'll know what to do with Cathleen. Let's just go home now.'