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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

Jan stopped and changed the shopping bag from one hand to the other. Being pregnant was slowing her down. She could have brought the car, but she felt she should walk to keep fit and it gave her the chance to get to know others. Even Bill Smith recognized her on a good day and had once allowed her to take him home when she’d found him wandering in the wrong direction.

‘If you go down there you’ll end up in the woods,’ she’d told him.

‘Oh, mustn’t do that,’ he said, pulling a face. ‘I might get eaten by the dogs there.’

Jan hadn’t disagreed. It was now common knowledge in Merryless that Anne Long, the midwife, lived in Ivy Cottage and allowed her dogs to run in the woods when there was no one around. The villagers didn’t object, even though they knew she wasn’t supposed to let them off their leads and she’d already received a warning from the police. But no one would tell, as their presence helped keep the vandals out of the woods.

Ten minutes later, Jan paused again to swap over the bag and then continued home.

Chris was already in, having taken time off work so he could be with her for the hospital appointment.

‘You should have phoned me,’ he said, concerned, taking the heavy shopping bag from her. ‘I could have collected you.’

‘I’m fine. There’s no need to fuss.’

‘But I want to fuss and look after you,’ he said, kissing her.

‘I know, and if I’m honest I like it,’ Jan laughed.

‘Good. Today’s the day we find out if it’s a boy or a girl,’ Chris said, unable to hide his excitement.

‘Yes, it is,’ Jan replied. She’d played down the other reason for the scan – that the baby wasn’t developing properly. Chris was anxious anyway after what had happened to him and Camile. But there was no chance of that happening again, as Chris and she didn’t share the same DNA. She’d told him, as she’d told Lillian, that she must have got her dates wrong. This scan would hopefully confirm that, so there was no point in worrying Chris.

SIXTY-SIX