He stood in his study for a while, watching the children running around in the snow. Scrooge remembered watching Donald and Della play out there at that age. Turning back to his desk, he sat down in his chair and opened Goldie's letter. He wasn't expecting a long letter, she'd only written a sentence or two for the others after all.
She hadn't started the letter with his name, but that didn't matter. A letter starting 'Dear Scrooge' would have sounded like a final goodbye and it was better this way. Placing his reading glassed over his beak, he took a deep breath and looked down.
"Figured I should get you all something for Christmas, as I was a guest over the holidays. It was almost fun. Who knows, maybe I'll find my way back for the same time next year? Don't worry, I won't get into TOO much trouble."
A piece of sticky tape kept the bottom of the page folder up. He pulled it away and smiled at the precious golden gift Goldie had left for him.
A lock of her hair.
Folding it back up inside the letter, to keep it secure, he opened his floor safe and put it inside.
Goldie settled down into her seat, removing her gloves and tucking the train ticket into her pocket. She'd hoped to get a lift out of Duckburg from Scrooge's driver, it seemed like he would be easy to persuade to help her, but he'd been returning to the mansion as she left so she'd headed to the train station instead. At least she had the whole carriage to herself, one of the perks of the extra-early morning travel.
She hoped Scrooge's family wouldn't take her presents to heart, she didn't want them expecting actual gifts next year, but at least if she ran into them again they'd be more likely to trust her. As the picture-perfect snowy countryside rolled by, Goldie wondered how long it would be before they discovered she'd left, she could picture Scrooge hiding out in his study wanting to read her letter in private.
It wasn't the best weather for leaving town, but she knew Scrooge would keep finding excuses for her to stay 'just a wee bit longer' and the train's heating was working. Taking a quick look around, double-checking that she really was alone, Goldie reached into her bag. She took out her phone, scrolled through the pictures and smiled. Scrooge was rather good at research, he'd detailed some potential treasures to hunt for and any possible dangers, then had foolishly left them lying around in the back-up safe under the floor in his study. Goldie had decided it was sneaker to take photos and leave the originals so that he wouldn't know she had been snooping. Pleased that the images were clear, she went back to view her apps. Opening the 'find my kids' app - she hated what the named inferred, but it was the only suitable one she could find - she made sure that it was working. It had been too easy, after seeing Sharpie enter his PIN number, to get access to his phone and link them up. Now she'd know when Scrooge and his family were treasure hunting nearby.
Sometimes being the brilliant Goldie O'Gilt was too easy.
THE END.
AN: Wow, a story started and finished in less than a month! I really didn't believe I could do it. I had the idea for this story at Christmas and then got caught up in some other things I'm writing but it's done! Yay! J Hope you enjoyed reading it.