The room was even more crowded than she’d expected, students cramped together so tight that some of them had spilled into the study carrels in the neighboring room. Nina’s heart sank a little. It looked like every last English major her year had shown up, plus several upperclassmen—though the ones with green name tags, she realized, were students who had done the program in years past. From the look of things, Nina had missed the official question-and-answer session; a projector on the far wall flashed through pictures of students walking through Oxford’s iconic cloistered courtyards or smiling on field trips to London.
Nina grabbed a pamphlet from the information table, filled out a name tag, and stuck it to her dress. Then she started into the crowds, figuring she should at least talk to one of the program’s alumni, hear what it was like firsthand.
A professor with wavy gray hair and an intelligent gaze stood nearby, surrounded by half a dozen jostling students. Something about her made Nina look twice, and then she nearly gasped, because the woman’s name tag read Dr. Elizabeth Lytton, Oxford University.
Hadn’t Nina read an essay by a Dr. Lytton for her paper on Emma last month?
Nina forced her way through the throngs of students, hovering nearby until Dr. Lytton finally turned to her.
“Dr. Lytton, it’s an honor to meet you. I recently cited your academic paper on Emma.”
The professor was clearly pleased that Nina had made the connection. “And what interests you about the Oxford program, Miss Gonzalez?”
Nina realized, in that moment, that she wasn’t simply curious about the program. A small but fierce part of her longed to do it—to go somewhere new, test the boundaries of her own abilities. She wanted to be brave.
“I’d love to focus on nineteenth-century fiction,” she heard herself say.
“Ah, yes. A Jane Austen enthusiast.” From the dry way Dr. Lytton spoke, Nina suspected that she wasn’t the only student to have made that claim this afternoon. Those students aren’t like me, Nina wanted to cry out; they just watched the new Pride and Prejudice and liked seeing Darcy in a clinging wet shirt! I’m the real deal—I read biographies of Jane Austen in my spare time!
Instead, Nina blurted out, “I’m also playing Helena in an on-campus production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Interest gleamed in the professor’s eyes. “An actress? And what do you think of Shakespeare?”
Despite her initial misgivings, Nina had shown up to the first couple of rehearsals. She told herself it was out of loyalty to Rachel, and not because 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 dip celery in 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’t act like 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 in The Little Mermaid.”