“I’m afraid Nikolai is going to propose or possibly attempt to seduce me. Both of which I want to avoid.” She shook her head. “Rejecting either his seduction or his proposal will simply complicate this entire debacle. We need to stay with the original plan. Just one more day, Beryl. We need to get through one more day, and then he can be called away.”

“I’m not going to allow him to seduce me.”

“Nor do I wish you to. I simply want you to, oh, distract him while I try to find Grayson.”

“And Grayson will save you?”

“No, of course not.” Camille started undoing the hooks on her gown. “I will save myself, but I haven’t spoken to him since last night, and I’m afraid . . .” She drew a deep breath and steadied herself. “I’m afraid I may lose him again if I don’t tell him how I feel.”

“I don’t really think—”

“Beryl, there were all sorts of things I said to him that could be taken in any number of different ways.”

“Even so—”

“I never told him I loved him!”

Beryl stared at her for a long moment.

“Well? Are you going to help me or not?”

Beryl heaved a resigned sigh. “Of course I am. I always will.”

Quickly they traded dresses.

“Now what?” Beryl said when they had finished.

“You can keep Nikolai occupied, and do try to avoid any sort of commitment.”

“As in marriage, you mean?”

Camille nodded. “While you do that, I am going to find Grayson.”

“This is absurd.”

“Probably.” Camille sighed. “But it’s all I can think of.”

They started back toward the main parlor and were near the Christmas tree, when Camille spotted Nikolai entering the gallery. She pushed Beryl forward, then stepped back to hide in the shadows behind the tree. Mother only allowed the candles on the tree to be lit when there were people nearby. There had been a nasty incident with a flaming tree some years ago.

“There you are.” Determination sounded in Nikolai’s voice. “I have been looking for you.”

“And it seems you have found me,” Beryl said, although she certainly could have done so with a bit more enthusiasm. There was no way to get past them without Nikolai seeing her. For the moment, Camille was trapped where she was. She shifted her position and found a spot where she was hidden but could see through the branches.

“My darling.” Nikolai pulled her into his arms. “At last we are alone.”

“One never knows,” Beryl said in a louder voice than was necessary. “Why, someone could come upon us at any minute.”