Pap smear 4 months ago all fine. ovulation pain on day 10 of the cycle and brown spotting from day 10 to 16 (sometimes mixed with egg white). then again brown spotting on day 23-24 (cycle usually 25-26 days). what could cause such spotting?

At any age, particularly at "41" or thereabouts, increased stimulation of ovarian follicles by pituitary hormone production may result in two eggs being matured simultaneously, leading to increased estrogen production, and the sudden drop in estrogen which occurs just prior to ovulation will cause this type of withdrawal bleeding ("spotting"), similar to the mechanism in menstruation.