“Then he should have nothing to cause undue concern. Although, when he’s worried or is concentrating, he gets the faintest little furrow between his brows. It’s quite delightful and makes him look rather serious and . . .” Of course, she should have seen it before now. She cast her sister a smug smile. “I know what is going to make this all much easier.”

“Oh, do tell.”

“I should have realized it before. English is not Nikolai’s native language. Aside from that charming accent, one would never know it, as he seems quite proficient. But he has confessed to me that, on occasion, there are things he doesn’t understand. Any odd occurrences in conversation or behavior from Mrs. Montgomery-Wells or Mr. Henderson or Miss Murdock, he will attribute to his failure to completely comprehend.” Delight washed through her. “He won’t question a thing. I’ve noticed this before. When he doesn’t quite comprehend, that tiny furrow appears and he smiles and nods and pretends to understand. It’s most endearing.”

“You don’t think he’ll notice if he’s smiling and nodding all the time?”

“I doubt it. I know all sorts of people who smile and nod continuously as they have no idea what is going on around them.” Camille shrugged. “They seem quite happy.”

“This is getting worse and worse,” Beryl warned.

“Nonsense. I think it’s getting better and better.” Camille ticked the points off on her fingers. “The actors are in place. They all know their roles. Nikolai will attribute anything odd to his own misunderstanding. We have a plan as to what happens immediately after Christmas. One can’t ask for more than that.”

Camille breathed a deep sigh of relief. Certainly, she still had no definitive idea on how to eventually reveal all to Nikolai, but she would. At the moment, she was oddly confident of it. “Indeed, I can’t imagine what could possibly go wrong.”

Gray couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something here struck him as wrong.

The butler had shown him into the front parlor at Millworth Manor and taken the basket from him, saying he would fetch Lady Briston. That meant he would not have to see Camille yet. Not that he cared. Still, it was a relief, and he wasn’t entirely certain why. Surely, after eleven years, he was prepared to see her again.