BooksBarbecue
Back The Cottage Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. TWENTY-THREE
  26. TWENTY-FOUR
  27. TWENTY-FIVE
  28. TWENTY-SIX
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. TWENTY-NINE
  32. THIRTY
  33. THIRTY-ONE
  34. THIRTY-TWO
  35. THIRTY-THREE
  36. THIRTY-FOUR
  37. THIRTY-FIVE
  38. THIRTY-SIX
  39. THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. THIRTY-NINE
  42. FORTY
  43. FORTY-ONE
  44. FORTY-TWO
  45. FORTY-THREE
  46. FORTY-FOUR
  47. FORTY-FIVE
  48. FORTY-SIX
  49. FORTY-SEVEN
  50. FORTY-EIGHT
  51. FORTY-NINE
  52. FIFTY
  53. FIFTY-ONE
  54. FIFTY-TWO
  55. FIFTY-THREE
  56. FIFTY-FOUR
  57. FIFTY-FIVE
  58. FIFTY-SIX
  59. FIFTY-SEVEN
  60. FIFTY-EIGHT
  61. FIFTY-NINE
  62. SIXTY
  63. SIXTY-ONE
  64. SIXTY-TWO
  65. SIXTY-THREE
  66. SIXTY-FOUR
  67. SIXTY-FIVE
  68. SIXTY-SIX
  69. SIXTY-SEVEN
  70. SIXTY-EIGHT
  71. SIXTY-NINE
  72. SEVENTY
  73. SEVENTY-ONE
  74. SEVENTY-TWO
  75. SEVENTY-THREE
  76. SEVENTY-FOUR
  77. Suggested topics for reading-group discussion
  78. Keep Reading …
  79. Lisa Stone also writes under the name of Cathy Glass.Don’t miss her latest book …
  80. About the Author
  81. Books by Lisa Stone
  82. About the Publisher

As she drew to a halt outside Ivy Cottage, her phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Chris: Have I been forgiven enough to take you to the cinema?

She’d told him she’d think about it.

I can’t this week, I’m busy, she replied.

Next week? came his immediate reply before she’d even left the car.

She didn’t text back.

Taking the bag of groceries indoors, Jan put the cold food in the fridge and left the other items she’d bought for tonight on the counter in the kitchen. Food had enticed them to the window before and she hoped it would again. All she had to do now was keep her nerve until dark and be ready with her camera.

FORTY-FOUR

Ian spent most of Wednesday afternoon in a secluded corner of The Coffee Shop, laptop open and using their Wi-Fi to work. It was easier to come here than go home and have to explain to Emma why he was back early from the office. She always arrived home before him, so he would return at his usual time and let her assume he’d been at work all day.

But it was proving impossible to concentrate. His thoughts kept wandering to Moller and their meeting that morning. The more Ian thought about it, the more he saw that Carstan Moller had got rid of him very easily by promising to check his records and offering compensation. Ian felt a sucker. He should have stood his ground and challenged him, asked him how many others had received the same donor sperm, demanded that Moller check his records in front of him and show him proof of his findings.

Annoyed with himself for being so easily taken in, Ian finished his second cup of coffee and, staring at his laptop, tried again to concentrate on work. It was now four o’clock and there was at least an hour and a half before he could return home. But the thought of seeing Emma didn’t fill him with the joy it had just a few days ago. Before long he’d have to tell her what the paternity tests had revealed. It was going to be dreadful. It couldn’t be anything else.

His phone vibrated with an incoming call, and as he picked it up he was surprised to see Moller’s number.

‘Good afternoon, Ian, Carstan here, phoning as promised.’ He sounded very upbeat.

‘Yes?’ Ian said warily.

‘I appreciated you needed an early response, so I cancelled my afternoon appointments to deal with your matter expeditiously. I am sorry to say that the test results you sent me are correct. I’ve cross-checked our records and a mistake was made. An incorrect donor number was recorded on your file, and I’m afraid you and your wife do share the same donor.’

‘I thought so,’ Ian said numbly.