For Alan, there was nothing more to hide or hold back, no longer a need for modesty.
He ripped off his union suit and tossed it aside.
Trembling with excitement, he tried to contain himself as he approached her.
He settled on the bed and dropped down beside Cathleen, so close that their bare hips and thighs touched.
Rising, his lips went to her firm nipples, kissing and licking them, then he was kissing her mouth. Their tongues met, and gradually her breathing heightened.
He was lifting himself, coming down between her legs, as her own legs came up to encircle him.
He was entering her, gradually entering her, slowly, with difficulty, as she moaned. 'Oh, Alan, I love you.'
'And I love you,' he whispered.
And through the joyful minutes that followed, their marriage was consummated without a wedding.
Downstairs, in a corner of the restaurant, Edmund came upon Karen Grant.
'Well,' he inquired, 'did you take care of young Arm-bruster?'
'You mean did I take him up to Margo's boudoir? I did. I put him into bedroom nine, and left him on his own with Margo. By now he knows the facts of life.'
Edmund was blinking at Karen. 'What did you say? You put him in room nine?'
'That's right. You told me to put him in room nine.'
Edmund was shaken. 'No, I didn't. I told you to put him in room six. Margo's in room six.'
'Oh, no…'
'Never mind,' said Edmund harshly. 'Do you know who's in room nine? Stay here. I've got to get to Miss Minna at once!'
Edmund whirled about, hastened through the restaurant, and raced for the Everleigh office.
He flung open the door without knocking.
Minna and Aida were on a sofa, chatting. Minna raised her head. 'What is it? Did old Armbruster leave yet? I didn't hear the Professor's song.'
Ignoring the question, Edmund entered the office, and propelled himself across the room to face the Everleigh sisters.
'Miss Minna,' he panted, 'I have some terrible news. There's been a terrible mistake. I just heard about it.'
'What is it?' Minna asked worriedly, rising.
'Someone escorted Alan Armbruster upstairs to – to be entertained by Margo in bedroom six. There was a mistake. Alan was led into bedroom nine, instead.'
'Nine!' Minna exclaimed, aghast. 'That's Cathleen's private room. I don't believe it! Are you sure?'
'I'm positive, Miss Minna.'
Minna's hands went to her head. 'Oh, my God, what a disaster. By now he knows Cathleen's Aunt Minna and Aunt Aida own a whorehouse, and by now he must believe Cathleen is a prostitute in this house. It's the worst thing that could have happened. I must put a stop to it -I must explain -'
Aida was on her feet. 'Minna, don't go out there – Arm-bruster's there -'
But Aida's warning came too late. Minna had already dashed out of the office.
To get to the entry hall quickly and up the staircase, Minna cut through the restaurant. She ran up an aisle, oblivious to several guests who tried to greet her as she raced past.
She was approaching the far end of the restaurant when she came on a lone diner, a hefty man puffing on a cigar as he watched her. He narrowed his eyes, then stared at her.
He threw down the cigar and leaped to his feet, stepping into the aisle to block her.
'Miss Lester!' he exclaimed. 'Can this be Minna Lester? What in the devil are you doing in this house of assignation? What are you doing here?'
She stopped in her tracks, confronted by his bulk. For seconds she was speechless. At last she spoke. 'I own it,' she said. There was simply not another thing to say.
'You own it?' Armbruster bellowed. 'You own this whorehouse?'
'I own it, my sister and I own it,' she repeated. She tried for an explanation. 'My brother in Kentucky doesn't know a thing about it. That's why he felt he could safely send Cathleen and Bruce to stay here before the wedding. I could never tell him. And Cathleen doesn't know. We changed everything, almost everything, so she wouldn't know. So, please…'
'This is unthinkable!' roared Armbruster, grabbing Minna by the arm. 'Come on, I want to get my son out of this
infamous Gomorrah!'
He dragged Minna out of the restaurant, through the entry hall, towards the staircase landing.
They both halted as they looked up in time to see Alan, fully clothed, a benign smile on his face as he descended.
As he reached the foot of the stairs, Alan grinned at his father. 'Thanks, Dad. You were right. I had a girl, and now I have enough experience for the wedding.'
Armbruster let go of Minna and snatched his son by the arm. 'Wedding, you say? What wedding? I'm not letting my son marry the niece of two whorehouse madams. It would destroy me in Chicago for ever, ruin everything I ever tried to build. Come on home!' Armbruster wheeled to confront Minna. 'As for you, don't you dare to come near me or any of us. You're not setting foot in my home again. There'll be no wedding! The wedding is off!'
With that, he pulled Alan away. Minna watched them go and then burst into tears.
EIGHT
Mayor Carter Harrison always came to his City Hall office at promptly nine o'clock in the morning.
He was surprised, upon his arrival this morning, to see that there was already a visitor in his office. The visitor was Harold T. Armbruster, admitted half an hour earlier by the mayor's administrative aide.
'I hadn't expected you,' said Harrison, removing his hat, shaking hands, and sitting down across from the meat-packer. 'What brings you here?'
'Something that may be of use to you,' said Armbruster.
'Please go on.'
'This morning my mind was on your campaign for mayor. That was the first time we met.'
'I remember very well.'
'What I remember is something else. My interest in you was based on your desire to expand our railroad system. But I recall you didn't speak of that much when I heard you. You spoke of reform, of getting rid of the whorehouses in this city.'
'Correct,' said the mayor. 'I am dedicated to fulfilling that pledge.'
Armbruster nodded. 'Until two days ago I knew only vaguely about the Everleigh Club. Now I know a good deal more. Mayor, why haven't you closed the Everleigh Club?'
The Mayor sighed. 'Mr Armbruster, the legal fact is that I can't move against it until I have evidence first-hand that it is operating as a whorehouse. The sisters have become more cautious about their activities. Thus far, it's been impossible for me to prove the Club is presendy anything more than a restaurant.'
Armbruster stood up. 'Mr Mayor, I assure you, the Ever-leighs are still in the business of prostitution.'
'You know for certain?'
'For certain,' said Armbruster. 'They are in business and I can prove it. As you know, my son is getting married this week. I thought – repugnant as it was to me – it would be valuable to him to gain some experience with a woman before his marriage. Everyone I asked told me to take him to the Everleigh Club. So last night I did.'
The mayor was fascinated. 'You took your boy to the Everleigh Club?'
'To let him have a woman.'
'Did he have a woman there? Did you pay for it?'
