CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

After spending the whole day at The Shops, Tegwen went home to see her parents for a pre-planned late night dinner. She knew the hatchday gift from Giffen would be waiting for her. This should be good, Tegwen squealed to herself. Giffen found more success as a lawyer in the big city than he'd found back in Duckburg. By working for a firm and not for one duck alone, he made about three hundred thousand dollars more each year. It also helped that his new boss was not a stingy old miser.

Tegwen wasn't expecting to get two separate gifts from her parents for her hatchday, but after Beitiris was adamant about saying the white Duxus was from her -- and her alone -- Giffen opted to upstage her.

Everything was quiet as Tegwen walked in, flipped on a light switch, and turned off the security alarm. Her imagination took over from there and she pictured a whole group of people jumping out from behind the furniture to surprise her. Kayla hid behind the sofa in that daydream, with Fenton right beside her. Mr. McDuck, his nephews and Webbigail popped up from behind a desk. Her parents were walking out of the kitchen.

Tegwen shook her head quickly, trying to clear the image from her mind. Stop being stupid, she reprimanded herself. No one knows where we went. A year later, Tegwen still kicked herself for not getting in touch with anyone from Duckburg as soon as they found a house in St. Canard. Her mother told her she wasn't allowed, besides, and that she would make new friends. Ha, well, Tegwen proved her wrong! And now, she felt like it was too late and was frightened at the thought of calling anyone up out of the blue. She felt like a traitor for not seeking them out sooner.

Tegwen flipped on the lights in the kitchen and found a note resting on the table in the breakfast nook. She read through it quickly, smiling at the pretty writing that belonged to Beitiris.

"The Fourteen Karat Jewel Garden?" Tegwen muttered to herself. Then her eyes lit up. "Daddy's getting me jewelry! Yes!" By checking the events log of the security system, Tegwen found they had left only five minutes before she'd returned home. Curiosity won her over too quickly and before she could stop herself, she changed into jeans, an old t-shirt and Fenton's jacket for warmth, and was running out the front door to go spy on her parents.

- - -

The Fourteen Karat Jewel Garden was only two blocks away from Tegwen's modest three-story house. It was roughly a ten minute sprint and Tegwen found comfort in going back to her old habits for once. She'd been out of track ever since leaving Duckburg. Entering a gym was one thing she never wanted to do again; fortunately home schooling had no requirements for physical education.

Tegwen approached the open door of the Jewel Garden and slipped in, smiling up at the security cameras. Giffen and Beitiris were bent over one case full of diamond tennis bracelets, both too enthralled with the search of the gift to notice a third body entering the store.



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