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“Milady,” he said, stepping aside to let her in. His tone held respect, but it was the kind tempered by doubt—like he was weighing whether this visit boded well or ill.

“Good evening, Colin.” Davina offered a small smile and stepped into the cottage. The savory steam rising from the hearth wrapped Davina in delicious warmth. She nodded towardthe woman tending the pot over the fire. “Good evening, Becca.”

Becca glanced over her shoulder. Her nod was stiff, her mouth a tight line. “Eve’nin’, milady.”

Davina cleared her throat and reached into her satchel to pull out the heavy sack of coins. “I’ve brought payment for the wool shipment. As promised.”

Colin’s lips twitched into a faint smile, though his eyes stayed keen. “Aye, we’ve been waitin’ on this.” He took the sack and moved to the table, settling into his chair. Untying the drawstring, he began counting the coins, slow and meticulously. The clink of metal filled the small cottage.

Davina clasped her hands and stood quiet, tamping down the sting of insult. If her ‘husband’ had come with the coin, Colin wouldn’t have dared count it in front of him. But a woman? The message was clear as cut glass.

When he finished, he thumbed one coin’s edge, then gave a small nod. “’Tis all here. I thank ye for yer punctuality, milady.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Davina replied, summoning a smile. “I ken how important timely payment is, especially with winter creeping in.”

“Aye, that it is,” Colin agreed, but his gaze lingered. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Yer husband must be pleased wi’ the profits from this shipment. He’s been away a fair bit, now, has he not?”

Davina’s heart gave a rapid knock, but her voice stayed smooth. “Aye,” she said lightly, “he’s oft away on business. ’Tis the nature of his work.”

Colin raised a bushy brow. “Strange, a lord always off travelin’ when he could be sendin’ others in his stead. Most’d rather keep to their own lands, keep their thumb on things.”

Davina’s stomach clenched, but she held her pleasantexpression. “I couldn’t say. He doesn’t share much about his affairs with me. But I ken it’s important to the estate.”

Colin grunted, unreadable. “Aye, I s’pose. Still, folk have been wonderin’. Ye’ve been wed a while now, and no one’s seen much o’ him. Some are startin’ tae question.”

Davina’s pulse stuttered. She caught Becca’s cutting glance from the hearth with eager ears.

Colin was treading where he shouldn’t go.

But Davina kept her composure. “Well, I suppose it’s natural for folk to gossip when they’ve naught better to do.” Aye, it was cheeky, but he deserved it. She adjusted her cloak—a clear signal she was ready to leave. “Now, if there’s nothing else—”

“Actually, there is,” Colin cut in. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “We had a bit o’ trouble this mornin’. One o’ the shearers broke his finest pair o’ shears. Slowed us down, it has, and the blacksmith’s off visitin’ kin. Think yer husband might help us out? Maybe he kens someone who can lend a hand?”

Davina paused, mind turning over the possibilities. “I overheard something in the village earlier,” she offered. “There’s a traveling blacksmith passing through who’s skilled with repairs. Might be worth sending word.”

Colin tilted his head, squinting. “Aye, heard a whisper of that myself. But how’d ye come by it, milady? For someone who doesnae ken much of her husband’s business, ye seem to ken a lot.”

Color crept into Davina’s cheeks, but her tone stayed cool. “I’m not completely ignorant, but I wasn’t aware I owed you an account of my time.”

“Colin,” Becca snapped from the hearth. “Mind yer manners and let Lady Davina see herself out.”

He waved his wife off with a grunt but held Davina’s gaze a heartbeat longer before nodding. “Aye. My apologies, milady.”

Davina slipped a silver coin from her personal purse and set it on the table. “This should cover the repairs. If it falls short, send word to the castle. My husband will see it settled.”

Colin took the coin, giving it a thoughtful roll between his fingers. “We’ll see to it. Thank ye.”

“I’ll mention the shears to him as well,” Davina added. “He’ll want to be kept informed.”

Colin gave a nonchalant shrug, but his voice had an edge. “And when might that be, milady? When’s he due back?”

Davina’s jaw tightened. “Your guess is as good as mine, Colin. I don’t really account for his time, either. He likes it that way.”

“Hmm.” Colin’s lips twitched into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Fair enough, milady. Fair enough.”

Davina moved toward the door, eager to end the conversation.

“Well, perhaps Lord Tammus will know,” he added, tone casual—too casual. “I just saw him arrive in the last hour.”