As it turned out, Constantine had saved Caroline and her entourage from some bandits with his group, he confessed later that they planned to steal the loot, but after realising Caroline's astounding beauty, he couldn't.
Caroline was merely trying to convey her gratitude, but Nova, after living thirty-ish years of Isabella's life, was no longer ignorant in the matters of love, that gaze that she was throwing her son wasn't that of a lady in gratitude.
It burned something in her, especially when Constantine also seemed to be equally thrilled.
Her motherly feelings came loose, this was his chance... a nice lady with a great background that could help him out of this hole that he lived in, this town was too small for Constantine and she didn't have the means to give him any better, but this girl could.
Yet why does this hurt so much?