Scrooge had not been surprised. With his carpet bag and valise held expertly in one hand and his cane offering support, he walked out of the mansion with his head held high. And only when his back was to the mansion and anyone who might have seen did he allow sorrow to break through his neutral expression.
He'd settled back into his position as the local bookman easily enough. He'd saved the vast majority of his salary so he would be more than comfortable during the lean times. As tempting as it had been, he had kept his finances staunchly separate from Magica's and had made sure that he hadn't included any clause he himself could exploit to obtain a share of her income even after his employment ended.
His return had actually been welcomed eagerly even as those who'd been working on restoring Castle McDuck had been disappointed by their abrupt termination of work. At least the castle was better off than it had been in decades if not centuries even if it was still unlivable.
He'd fully expected to hear nothing from Magica ever again, so seeing Clara enter the shop and greet him had given him quite a start. He was standing on a ladder, shelving a few books that he'd previously held for customers who had changed their minds.
"Here, Miss Clara. Good afternoon. Please give me a few minutes to climb down." He gave her a wry smile. "I'd hate to burden a young lady with hailing the local constable to deal with a fall."
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He'd settled back into his position as the local bookman easily enough. He'd saved the vast majority of his salary so he would be more than comfortable during the lean times. As tempting as it had been, he had kept his finances staunchly separate from Magica's and had made sure that he hadn't included any clause he himself could exploit to obtain a share of her income even after his employment ended.
His return had actually been welcomed eagerly even as those who'd been working on restoring Castle McDuck had been disappointed by their abrupt termination of work. At least the castle was better off than it had been in decades if not centuries even if it was still unlivable.
He'd fully expected to hear nothing from Magica ever again, so seeing Clara enter the shop and greet him had given him quite a start. He was standing on a ladder, shelving a few books that he'd previously held for customers who had changed their minds.
"Here, Miss Clara. Good afternoon. Please give me a few minutes to climb down." He gave her a wry smile. "I'd hate to burden a young lady with hailing the local constable to deal with a fall."