The Golden Room

'I took the reservation,' said Edmund, 'but I know that Mr Armbruster is the last person you want to see here.'

Aida immediately fell into a panic. 'You've got to cancel him. Make up any reason you can. If he should see us here, and realize what we do, he'd call off the wedding. You've got to see that he's not admitted, because…'

'No,' Mi

Edmund cleared his throat. 'Not exactly, Miss Mi

'We can't allow that,' Aida said fearfully to Mi

'It won't get out,' said Mi

She weighed what was next on her mind.

'The important thing is to let this take place in the Ever-leigh Club, yet not let them know the so-called socialite aunts are ru

'You mean stay locked up all tomorrow evening?'

'Not quite,' said Mi

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 Mi

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 Mi

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 Mi

'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 Mi

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. 'Mi

'I never knew that.'

'Did you know your Aunt Mi

Bruce shook his head in wonder. 'Mi

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 Mi

'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 Mi

'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 Mi

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.'