"Owing you favors has been so very much fun for me," he says, chagrined. "But, fine. I accept that."

Now, there's just one other issue he probably needs to come clean about. Her eyes are going to be on him, so he'd rather not have any misunderstandings.

"There's just one other thing you should know. Pyotr and I now have a standing business agreement. How should I put this...?" He pauses to choose his words.

"It may at times look ...as if I am falling back into old ways, having a man take my orders like an eager puppy. You can ask him for yourself, too, but this was very much by his desire and not mine. Frankly, it's the best way to keep him out of more trouble."