Page 51 of Reign

Despite her initial misgivings, Nina had shown up to thefirst couple of rehearsals. She told herself it was out of loyalty to Rachel, andnotbecause she was curious about Prince Jamie. Honestly, she was doing her best to avoid him.

She and Dr.Lytton spoke about the production for several more minutes before another student came to hover near the professor. Nina said goodbye, heart pounding through her smile, before she walked toward the exit and let out a breath.

“That looked like it went well.”

She looked up, startled, at Jamie’s voice. He stood nearby, holding a paper plate full of snacks from the refreshments table.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I was in the area and saw the free food. You Americans have such a funny relationship with ranch dressing,” he mused. “Am I really supposed to dipceleryin it?”

“It’s a choose-your-own adventure situation.” Nina started toward the door and was unsurprised when Jamie tossed his plate into the trash and followed.

They headed into the quadrangle at the front of campus. Nina was still taut with adrenaline from her conversation with Dr.Lytton, so when Jamie gestured to the fountain at the center of the lawn, she decided,Why not?and went to sit next to him.

“I’m glad you’re considering the Oxford program. What changed your mind? The same things that changed your mind about the play?” he added, voice devoid of his usual irreverence.

Nina ignored his comment about the play, leaning her palms back on the fountain’s rough stone surface. “My friend Ethan studied in Malaysia this year. I talked to him a few times while he was abroad, and I could tell how much he loved it.” She’d learned a lot more from those conversations—like the fact that Ethan, Nina was pretty certain, still loved Daphne—but that wasn’t worth mentioning.

The truth was, Nina was ready to go somewhere new. She wanted to meet people on her own terms, without her romantic history or her entanglements with the Washingtons overshadowing things.

“Oxford is beautiful. You’d love it. Plus, there’s a far better nightlife than you’d expect,” Jamie added with a wink.

Nina knew he was being flippant but rolled her eyes. “Studying abroad isn’t just about drinking.”

“You’re right. It’s about the people you meet.”

Nina was grateful when her phone buzzed, shattering the moment. She pulled it quickly from her purse and saw a new message from Samantha:I promise I’m fine!

Last week, when Sam hadn’t come home and instead texted that she was crashing with “my friend Liam,” Nina had been so worried she’d almost called the palace. Who was this so-called friend, and why didn’t Nina know anything about him? She had always feared that Sam’s impulsive streak would get her into trouble.

Call me soon! I want to make sure you’re okay!she replied, then looked up to find Jamie watching her.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m just…It’s my friend.”

“And how is Sam doing these days? Back in town, I assume?”

Nina looked up sharply at his words.

“You knew that Sam was back, didn’t you? That night at Tudor House, when you acted like you didn’t know who I was!”

“I didn’tactlike anything,” Jamie insisted. “But you’re right, I knew who you were, so when you said you needed to help your best friend, I figured that Sam had come home.”

“And you didn’t tell anyone.”

Jamie might be full of himself and insufferably charming, but he was trustworthy when it came to the things that mattered. The realization sank into Nina’s chest, warm and solid like a stone.

He shrugged and changed the subject. “You’ve been really good in rehearsals. I still can’t believe this is your first time acting.”

“At least, my first time since the skits Sam and I used to perform as kids. I usually wrote the script and she was the star.” Nina shook her head fondly at the memory. “What about you—did you act in high school?”

“It’s nothing like Shakespeare, but I did children’s theater with a volunteer group. We performed at elementary schools where most of the kids had never seen live theater before.” Jamie grinned. “I played the crab inThe Little Mermaid.”

“Not the prince?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

Nina glanced over at him, curious. “So you didn’t have any problems getting permission for the play? I mean, isn’t it a security risk?”