The north wing corridor felt colder than the rest of the building. Beorn noticed it immediately and chose to keep walking. He did not reach for the ledger. His hand marked its absence once, then he let the thought drop. Aestrith stayed silent beside him, offering no comment.
They reached the room and knocked. There was a short delay from inside. Something was set down, likely work, then the door opened.
Tam's older sister, Pam, stood there, looking out at them with suspicion.
She was taller than Tam. The resemblance in the face was clear, but age had changed the features. She had the atmosphere of a woman that had been running a household for years.
A loop of mending thread was still wrapped around her fingers, and she made no move to remove it. Her gaze shifted from Beorn to Aestrith, then returned to Beorn in doubt.
"Is it for Tam? She's not back from work yet," Pam said.
"We can wait," Beorn replied.
