Irene walked into the room first so that Henry could get announced by himself. However, when she looked over her shoulder at him, he was giving her such an alarmed expression, that she started to worry.
Had he been put off by her sudden hug? She didn't know why his expression of rare desperation caused her to want to hug him but when her arms wrapped around him and he seemed to return the hug without hesitation, she thought it was the correct move. His expression was the only aspect causing her to doubt her decision.
A servant stood by the door and allowed Irene to greet her father and take a seat next to him before he said, "Duke Henry Mattson, Commander of the Knights of Chemois."
Henry pulled at his jacket and erased the shocked expression off of his face. How was he supposed to face Irene's father after she hugged him and he hadn't decided how he felt about it quite yet?
