Mildly alarmed, Daff followed him up and motioned for him to sit as she moved to the tiny kitchen to put the kettle on. Her stomach dropped when he asked about hearing rumors. If she'd learned anything in the last year, it was that jumping to conclusions got her nowhere, so she looked at him curiously. "No?" He knew she was disconnected from the rumor mill, had never thought it to be of use to anyone, especially when her sister and her new brother-in-law kept getting mentioned.

"What's happened?" She hovered in the doorway of the tiny kitchen watching him more warily now.