Nora launches into frenzied plans. In addition to mounting Frosty on the roof, she puts Luther in charge of acquiring the Christmas tree. Luther particularly dreads putting up Frosty. He tells Nora she should have told Blair the truth: “The truth is always better” (111). Nora replies that Blair is never to know the truth about the cruise; it would break her heart to know she had interfered with their plans.

While Nora goes shopping for something to serve at the party, Luther goes to the Christmas tree lot, where the Boy Scouts are selling the very last tree. They recognize him as the one who refused to buy a tree earlier, and they stiff him on the price for a tree so dry that all the needles have fallen off by the time he gets it home. Nora has brought down all the Christmas decorations from the attic and left Luther a list of friends to call with last-minute party invitations. However, everyone has already made other plans.

Still treeless, Luther notices the Trogdon family down the street packing up their car to visit family; they won’t be home until after Christmas. Luther convinces Wes Trogdon to let him borrow their tree.