Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 220

Finley swallowed her sarcastic remark. “I’ve taken care of the herb garden for you. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

As he turned to leave, Larissa called out, “Actually, there is one more thing. Last night, someone snuck into my room and was rummaging around for something. Any idea who that might have been?”

Finley’s body went rigid. A flicker of panic crossed his face before he regained his composure and denied it flatly. “How would I know?”

But his fleeting nervousness didn’t escape Larissa’s sharp eyes.

She let out a soft laugh, her tone mocking. “Well, since you’re already poisoned by my hand, I was just thinking… perhaps you got desperate? Decided to take a risk and steal the antidote?”

Finley’s expression darkened at her words, his face a mixture of anger at being called desperate and anxiety from being caught. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead.

He forced himself to remain calm, retorting through gritted teeth, “Even if I wanted to steal it, I’d need to know what the antidote looks like first, wouldn’t I?”

A half-smile played on Larissa’s lips. “True. My room is filled with all sorts of concoctions. Some can pull a person back from the brink of death, others are simple nourishing tonics. But then there are the poisons… enough to kill a man instantly. There’s a bit of everything, really. If someone were to accidentally ingest the wrong one, the consequences would be unimaginable. I can’t imagine what clever fool would try to steal from my room. It’s like they have a death wish.”

A cold sweat trickled down Finley’s back. He was silent, a wave of fear washing over him.

Larissa waved a dismissive hand. “Alright, you can go now.”

Finley limped out of the herb garden. Once he was a safe distance away, he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He was lucky his attempt had failed.

If Larissa wasn’t bluffing, swallowing the wrong vial could have been a disaster far worse than the poison already in his system. He had to be much more careful in his quest for the antidote.

“You’re a shrewd businessman, Mr. Lawson,” Larissa remarked.

“Not at all, Ms. Judson, you flatter me.” He smiled obsequiously. “So, if you’re not here with more herbs, what can I do for you today?”

“Last time, you mentioned Finley was looking for the poison expert” Larissa said.

Mr. Lawson nodded. “Yes. At the time, you said not to inform him. Have you changed your mind and decided to meet him?”

A cunning smile touched Larissa’s lips. “I have. Please do me the favor of informing Finley that the poison expert will be at the auction house this weekend. And to make it convincing, I’d like you to put one of my herbs up for auction then.”