But what do you know?
Maybe he shouldn't have been so concerned about explanations after all.
Because at this moment, Alexander finally understood where his son's strange and persistent fondness and passion for all of this had come from.
It came from closer to home.
Specifically, it came from the woman standing beside him.
Countess Jenna Taylor didn't say a word.
She simply stared.
And then, after a very long, very heavy minute of processing, she burst into tears.
The kind that startled everyone within arm's reach.
Alexander stiffened in alarm. Luca flinched outright.
"My lady?" the worried cadet asked quickly, already stepping forward. "Are you alright?"
Alexander was beside her in an instant, one hand hovering awkwardly at her back, completely unprepared for this development.
__
But Jenna was crying in earnest.
Hands over her mouth. Shoulders trembling. Tears streaming freely down her face.
Alright?
How could she possibly be alright?
