Trying to uncover a secret his parents' were hiding was not easy, Teddy Venturi reflected. For a start, his father, Edwin was a world class investigator. Teddy wouldn't be at all surprised if Edwin didn't already know that his son was snooping. His mother, Lizzie, too was not slow on the uptake. He was often surprised at how she managed to 'get one over on' his father – which by all accounts was not easy. So trying to find out what secret they were hiding was going to be tough.

He was still puzzling this out the next day as he made his way to class. Teddy attended all of his classes religiously. He had had very little enthusiasm for school work for a while until his father had taken him to one side and explained how you could use class to your own advantage. It wasn't just the life lessons and skills you picked up. It was the people-watching which might help you achieve a business goal. When Edwin had helped Teddy triple his allowance purely by watching his classmates and noting what they were up to, Teddy was addicted to attending class…for life.

So he was watching the people around him as they arrived and for once, he noticed Lilly Morgan.

He knew Lilly. He had even spoken to her several times before. And as girls went, she was pretty cool. They just didn't move in the same circles. She wasn't as hot as her elder sister, but in a few years he reckoned she'd be there…with bells on. As he watched her cross the classroom gracefully, suddenly an idea sprang to mind.

Lilly could feel Teddy's eyes on her and she had to admit she was curious as to why she had suddenly caught his attention. She knew enough about him to know that he was Stig's cousin – and unlike his elder relative, did not normally give girls a second glance. (or boys for that matter, so she was sure it wasn't that reason.). At the end of class when he approached her, she had to bite her lip to stop herself from blurting out, "Come on out with it the suspense is killing me!"

"Hi Lilly!"

"Hi Teddy! I haven't seen you to speak to for a while."

He looked embarrassed. "Hmm not since kindergarten?"

They both laughed. Actually, it hadn't been that long, but as he spoke to her with her soft voice and winning smile, he realised it actually felt like forever since he had last chatted with her, and he resolved to not leave it so long next time.

"So, how's the family?" He asked, nonchalantly, feeling about fifty as he said it.

She laughed. "Fine. Still just the four of us, and the cat is doing well too. Is that enough small talk?" She finished pointedly.

"God am I that transparent? My father will kill me."

"No. Apparently, according to my parents and Lucy I'm just very perceptive. But, I'm heading off for lunch, why don't you join me and tell me what you are after? Maybe I can help." That amazing grin again. He nodded at her plan. He would definitely not leave it so long next time.

"So let me get this straight. Stig wants you to find out why his parents invited mine over for dinner."

"Yup."

"Maybe it's just that Mom bumped into Casey in the car park and they took a shine to each other."

He shook his head. "They don't do that sort of thing, Aunt Casey and uncle D. Uncle D doesn't like dinner parties. He says it reminds him of all the lame dates Auntie C brought back for dinner when they were teenagers."

Teddy noticed Lilly's frown as she processed what he'd just said. He grinned.

"I guess you wouldn't know because Lucy and Stig don't get on and Stig only lets his closest friends know…Derek and Casey spent some of their teenage years living in the same house. Derek's father is married to Casey's mother. Stig's parents were step-brother and sister before they were husband and wife."

"Oh…wow! I guess there's nothing wrong with that."

"Nothing wrong at all. In fact, my father is Derek's brother and my mother is Casey's sister." He grinned a cheeky grin. "We're very friendly in my family."

"Evidently." Lilly said also grinning. Teddy liked how she hadn't made a big deal of his parents alternative relationship. It freaked some people out.

"Well if there is a reason for the dinner party, I doubt my own parents know about it. They are very easy to read and hugely predictable."
"Hmmm. I think you are probably right. It does have a Venturi tone to it."

"Should I be worried?" Lilly said, thinking of her own parents.

"Nah! The worst that can happen is that they split their sides laughing at the prank afterwards."

"So do you want me to keep my ears open?" Lilly asked.

Teddy patted her on the back. "Atta girl! We'll make a spy out of you yet."

She shook her head in amused disbelief. "How will I speak to you?"

He held out a hand for her work folder and scribbled his email address down. He paused and as an after thought added his phone number.

"Okay." Lilly looked up at the clock. "I got to go. I'll email you my phone number tonight when I get home."

"Great. Thanks."

As she walked across the cafeteria and away from him, Teddy congratulated himself. Somehow he thought both his Uncle and his father would be proud of his work today.

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"So…" Lilly said to Lucy watching from the doorway as her sister stretched on her bed. "Stig."

"What about the jerk?" Lucy's predictable reply came.

"I gather he isn't too happy about his parents and ours having dinner together."

Lucy sat up in a hurry. Lilly was amused to see she looked slightly flustered.

"How did you find out about that?"

"Stig told Teddy, Teddy told me."

Lucy relaxed again. "Since when have you been spending time with Teddy Venturi?"

Lilly shrugged. "I'm not, not really. He just wanted to know if I'd heard anything. He's a nice guy though."

Lucy glanced up and amused, her eyebrow raised.

"Don't look at me like that Lucy!"

"Hey. I never said a word."

"Good. Coz it's business and nothing else." Lilly insisted.

"And did that business involve you swapping phone numbers?"

"Yes as a matter of fact…but again it is purely business." Lucy's laughter covered the end of that sentence.

"Come on, sis. You want to get to the bottom of this dinner business don't you?" Lilly went on.

Lucy frowned. "Yes. Definitely."

"Well then. A certain degree of fraternisation with the enemy is required." Her eyes widened suddenly as the word 'fraternisation' reminded her of the juicy piece of gossip Teddy had imparted. She moved quickly to Lucy's bed.

"You'll never guess what Teddy told me about Stig's parents."

"That they are step-siblings…yeah I know."
Lilly looked disappointed. "How do you know?"

"It's in Casey's on-line bio. Their parents married when they were fifteen and Casey and Lizzie McDonald moved with Nora their mother into Derek's home. They hated each other until they went to college where she swept him off his feet."

"I'd have thought it would be the other way around."
Lucy laughed. "Yeah. Me too if Derek is anything like his son. I guess there's a story to be told there.

"Surely it's a good thing that Mom is getting friendly with Casey. I mean you respect her and her work don't you?"

"If it was only that, then of course, I'd be encouraging it. But do you have any idea what it is like to be pranked and insulted every day? I just want him to leave me alone."

"Well, look on the bright side. In a few months you'll be off to Queens and you can escape him."
"I can't wait."