Page 37 of Spellbound After Midnight

“It was unprofessional.”

“Highly.”

“It won’t happen again.”

I tilted my head to search his dark gaze, and what I saw there made my breath catch. His eyes told a truth his mouth didn’t.

“Liar.”

“Tessa—”

Another thought stole my attention. “It’s green.”

His features clouded with confusion when I moved out of his reach heading for the bookcase. I paused for a moment, regaining my composure before selecting a heavy, dust-covered volume, which I carried back to the workbench.

“The rosenphyn worked. The paste on the wine stem turned green.”

Derrick stood behind me, so close I struggled to keep from leaning against him. The need was tantalizing, but I feigned interest in turning the pages of the book.His arm brushed my side as he leaned closer, breath caressing my neck and making my nerve endings tingle.

Oops, I went too far. Back a page.

Finally, I found the correct section. If it had been any further, I would have dumped the book at my feet and tried testing his vow to not kiss me again. Who needed professionalism?

Derrick read the title next to my finger. “The poison is belladonna root.”

“That makes sense. It says in cases of poisoning, symptoms include blurred vision, loss of balance, and confusion. In larger doses, it can cause delirium, slurred speech, and even result in death. The steward said Ella was disoriented. The killer could have poisoned her to weaken her defenses.”

“There were hundreds of people at the ball. The killer would have needed to overpower her without drawing attention.”

“So, he poisoned her wine and either lured her out to the courtyard or waited until she stumbled out there on her own.”

“I agree. What else does it say?”

I skipped to the next paragraph. “Belladonna root is often used in wine to mask its bitter taste and unpleasant odor. That’s probably why Bradford could smell it. Ella might not have noticed, but someone experienced with wines would have recognized the difference. If she hadn’t spilled her wine, we might have never known it was poisoned.”

“It’s possible, but without the spell, it wouldn’t have mattered. Nice work, Tessa.”

A flare of pleasure bloomed in my chest at his praise. “Thank you, Detective. There’s a little bit more. It says in the right doses, belladonna root can be used as an aphrodisiac, increasing desire and stimulating…” I trailed off, my cheeks flaming. When I turned my head, our eyes met, and again, our lips were inches apart. My earlier accusation hung between us:Liar.

Derrick slipped the book from my fingers and placed it on the table without breaking my gaze. “I think that’s enough reading for tonight.”

“I think you’re right.”

He cleared his throat. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the apothecary and make a list of anyone who grows or sells belladonna plants.”

“Sounds like a plan. Goodnight, Detective.”

He retrieved his coat and paused at the door. “Goodnight, Tessa.”

The soft murmur stayed with me long after he’d slipped through the entrance and into the dark.

Chapter 13

Sleep was impossible.

The clock on the mantel read 11:50 p.m. as I tossed my legs over the edge of the bed. How was I supposed to sleep when every time I closed my eyes, I imagined him kissing me against a display of spells? At this rate, I’d be out of sleeping powder by the end of the week, or overdose and wind up in a thirty-year coma. At least then, I wouldn’t have to worry about Argus or solving a murder. Who knew sleep could fix such a wide array of problems?

I groaned and fell back against the mattress.Focus on the case. Count suspects or something. According to Derrick’s “everyone’s a suspect” rule, there were more suspects than sheep. I’d be asleep in no time.