A Waltz in the Park by Deb Marlowe

looked quite serious.  “I am glad to hear it.  The man has precious few friends and even fewer people willing to do him a good turn.”
    “Truly?”
    “I’m afraid so.  He is a good man, despite what you hear about him.  I’m glad to find that you are treating him fairly.”
    Addy took a great swallow of tea, hoping the heat of it would provide an excuse for her deepening flush.  “Of course.  He’s been everything kind.”
    “Good.  Then I will leave him in your capable hands.”  She raised her tone.  “And here he is.  My dear Vickers, thank you for delivering Adelaide to me.  We are getting on famously, so I didn’t want to keep you waiting unnecessarily.  You can leave her to me, and I shall see her home.”
    Hestia Wright was no one’s fool.  What did she know?  How had she guessed?  With that glint in her eye, Addy couldn’t help but wonder if this plan was truly meant to provide them some extra time together—or to keep her from Vickers’ company.
    “Is that wise?” he asked with a frown.
    Hestia paused.  “I applaud the two of you for taking such care with Adelaide’s reputation.”
    They both flushed higher at that.
    “Thankfully, I brought the carriage instead of my little cart.  It’s innocuous enough and I’ll sit back and take care not to be seen.”
    Addy felt the weight of his gaze on her skin.  She tried valiantly not to react.  She felt Hestia was watching them closely.  “Thank you so much for your help today, Mr. Vickers.”
    “I feel as if I am being summarily dismissed,” he complained.
    “But darling,” Hestia chuckled.  “We merely mean to set you free.  However, we would like to use you as a go-between again, if you are amenable.”  She glanced carefully between them.  “We have a further bit of business to take care of,” she finished.
    “Of course.  You know I’d do anything you asked.”
    “I know you would, my friend.”
    He bowed and kissed her hand.  He gave Addy a nod, which she returned.  She fought back a sense of panic and a sudden sense of loss, as just like that, he was gone.
    “Now we have time to chat,” Hestia said with satisfaction.  “Tell me about your sister, won’t you?”

 
    Chapter Six
     
    For two days Vickers stalked restlessly through his natural territory—the shabby, fringed edges of the ton.  The young bucks noted the sharpness of his temper and gave him a wide berth. 
    Vickers, in turn, gave Lady Mitford a wide berth, even as he watched her closely as she moved through the social whirl.  He told himself he was biding his time, allowing her to relax after he’d given her an obvious alarm.  He told himself he was not wild for a glimpse of Addy Stockton, that he was not nervous about seeing her again after that shattering kiss, that he was not twitchy fifty times a day, thinking about kissing her again.
    Then he called himself a liar.
    On the third day he cursed himself for a fool and did what he usually did when he faltered or lost focus.  He fed the dragon that lived in deep in the dungeons of his soul.  He went to see his mother.
    “James!”  She brightened for a second as he entered her private parlor.  “How lovely to see you!”  The smile faded, however, as she glanced fearfully at the open door behind him.  “Your father is not about, is he?”
    “No.  I made sure of it.  He has a committee meeting today that will occupy him all afternoon.”
    “Good.” Still, she didn’t relax.  “The servants didn’t see you?”
    “No.  Only Jeddings knows I’m here.”
    Jeddings was her personal servant and the one comfort in her life.  The greatest discomfort of his own was that he could not fulfill that role for her.
    “Oh, that’s fine then.”  She smiled at last again and patted his hand.
    They spoke quietly of small things.  The word characterized his mother’s life, as she’d long ago learned to make herself as small and invisible to her husband as possible.
    “We hosted