She ignored him. “When it comes to getting something that I want, I have never had a particular problem with a bit of deception. And if Camille and this man had fallen in love, even if he is penniless, I would not oppose such a marriage. However”—she studied Pruzinsky—“I do not wish to see my sister shackled for the rest of her life to a man who has led her to believe he is something he is not. A man who has deceived and tricked her.”

He chose his words with care. “And yet she is deceiving him about her family.”

“That’s an entirely different thing.” She waved off his comment. “It’s an innocent deception, really. Intended to provide that bounder with the kind of Christmas he has told her he desires. Why, the man is using Christmas to get what he wants. Is there anything more despicable than employing Christmas to perpetrate a fraud?”

He resisted the urge to point out the irony. “Not to my knowledge.”

“I know what you’re thinking, Grayson, that Camille was doing much the same thing. But her deception was in the nature of . . . of . . . a good deed. Yes, that’s what it was.” She nodded. “Why, in many ways, it’s not merely thoughtful, but it’s rather noble of her.”

“ ‘Noble’ is not the word I’d use.”

“No one cares about the word you would use,” Beryl said sharply. “My sister has a good heart. And she never would have married him without telling him the truth about her masquerade.”

“No doubt.” He blew a long breath. Telling Camille the truth would not be easy, but it had to be done. “When do we tell her about Pruzinsky?”

“We don’t,” she said simply.

“She should be told, as soon as possible.”

She cast him a pitying look. “You’re really rather a stupid man, after all. I can’t imagine how you managed to make all that money.”

He clenched his jaw. “Why aren’t we telling her about Pruzinsky?”

She stared at him in disbelief. “No one wants to be told they’ve been made a fool of. And in such a grand manner. She would hate us. You more than me, but she wouldn’t be pleased with me either. And we really don’t have any real evidence yet, do we?”

“He talks about becoming king of a country that doesn’t exist.”

“Yes, but he’s obviously a clever devil, and such talk can be explained away. Even if we told her what we know, there is every possibility she wouldn’t believe us at first and might do something rash. She has yet to conquer her own nature when it comes to surrendering to impulse. No, she must come to this realization on her own. And we have to let this drama play out.”

“ ‘Play out’?” He stared. “She could marry him.”