American Royals

The only member of the Washington family noticeably absent was Princess Beatrice, who would be joining them tomorrow afternoon.

Nina had observed plenty of photo calls through the years. She was used to being shuffled to one side and asked to wait until the interview was over. Today she had stationed herself beneath the overhang of a chairlift, a few yards past the raucous bubble of photographers and reporters. Jeff’s friend Ethan Beckett stood next to her, alongside Teddy Eaton.

It couldn’t be easy on Sam, having Teddy here in Telluride. Nina worried that it would only get worse once Beatrice arrived at the house tomorrow, and Sam was forced to observe their flirting at close range.

“All right, everyone!” The king’s chamberlain, Lord Robert Standish, shouted over the noise of the photographers. He looked a bit ridiculous in his typical navy suit, his only concession to the cold weather a patriotic striped scarf, but Robert had always been a stickler for protocol. No matter the conditions.

“We’ll take a few questions at this time,” he offered, with all the self-importance of someone who delivers news about people more powerful than himself.

“Who’s the surprise entertainment at this year’s New Year’s party?” one of the press corps called out. The clacking of cameras was like the sound of a million insects.

“If we announced that, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” The queen gave a good-natured smile.

The Washingtons’ private New Year’s Eve party, at local members-only club Smuggler’s, was the event of the year. Nina had heard of noble families who rented houses in Telluride for the week, just hoping that they would run into the king on the slopes and snag a last-minute invite. Someone world-famous always ended up giving a private performance—a pop star or comedian, or once, a boy band Beatrice had been a little obsessed with.

“I’d say this beats being in Urquhart’s lecture right now,” Ethan drawled, sliding closer on his snowboard.

Nina realized, startled, that the comment had been directed at her. She kept forgetting that Ethan was also a freshman at King’s College this year. “Wait—you’re in the World History class?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I assumed you were, too. You don’t seem like the type to leave mandatory credits until senior year.”

Nina nodded absently, wondering why she hadn’t seen Ethan around campus more. Then again, King’s College was a big school.

She and Ethan had known each other for years. It was inevitable that their paths kept crossing, given how close they both were to the twins. But Nina would never have ventured to claim that they were friends. No matter how often he laughed or lounged around with the others, she couldn’t shake the sense that Ethan was holding something back, out of self-preservation or wariness.

“What do you think of all this?” Ethan asked, edging his board a little closer.

Nina wondered why Ethan was bothering with her now, when he’d never paid her much attention before.

“It’s just a press call. We’ve both seen our fair share of them,” she said easily.

Still, Nina couldn’t help glancing back over at the Washingtons, so artfully arranged against that dramatic background. The lights of the cameras flashed over their perfect white smiles and dark hair, their flawless golden-brown tans. When they stood all together like that, there was something sleek and powerful about them, something that left Nina with an unbidden foreboding.

“Jeff!” shouted one of the reporters. “We keep hearing rumors that you’re seeing someone. Who is it?”

Nina’s heart skipped a beat.

The Daily News correspondent chimed in, thrusting her microphone forward. “Is it Daphne Deighton? All of America keeps hoping you and Daphne will get back together.”

“You know I don’t comment on my love life,” Jeff said tightly.

“So you are seeing someone!” one of the reporters cried out, elated.

“Who is she?”

“What’s her name?”

“Is it Daphne?”

Nina began stomping the heel of her boot angrily into the snow, the way that ten-year-old Annabel had been doing not so long ago.

“What the prince means is no comment.” Robert stepped smoothly between Jeff and the reporter. “And that will be all for today. Let’s give Their Majesties a chance to enjoy the snow, shall we?”

There was a final burst of flashbulbs, and then the Washingtons quickly dispersed: Aunt Margaret whooshing down the slope in pursuit of her Hollywood Hottie, Richard and Evelyn leading their children off to a private instructor. The press corps began the laborious process of packing up their cameras and gear, to load it into the snowmobiles that would cart them back down the mountain.

Jeff strapped his foot into his binding and snowboarded the few yards toward them. “Sorry about that.”

“I know,” Nina replied quietly, just as Ethan said, “No problem.”

Oh, right. Jeff had been talking to Ethan, apologizing that he’d been forced to wait through yet another press call. Nina had thought it was for her, that Jeff was sorry the paparazzi had somehow found out about them.

Ethan cast her a sharp glance, as if wondering what she meant. Because of course, Nina wasn’t supposed to be here for Jeff. She was here for Samantha, her best friend.

Sam chose that moment to join them, cutting a razor-sharp turn so that her arrival flung a spray of ice crystals into their faces.