There was silence for a brief moment as Andrew processed their words. His expression remained unreadable, but his mind was already piecing things together.
Andrew exhaled sharply, looking away for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose. Not asking why they would be searching for a herb. Because he could tell from their faces right away."And what exactly do you suspect?"
Lydia hesitated before pointing toward the jar she had set aside. "I recognized the scent of this herb—it was in the Queen Dowager's garden. And I swear I've smelled it before in the Queen's tea and soup."
It looked like a dead end to searching, but Andrew knew better than to dismiss Lydia's intuition.
"You should have come to me immediately," he said, his voice lower now, almost a reprimand.
"We needed to be
