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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

‘But she needs to know about the email,’ Anne said, her face serious. ‘I kept quiet as you asked, but it’s not right, Chris. You may not be so lucky next time. Apart from that, there’s the moral issue of you two being related. You can’t ignore it. Technically you are half brother and sister. Most couples parted once they knew. Ian and Emma did. Jan needs to be told.’

‘But I couldn’t bear to lose her,’ Chris said. ‘That’s why I haven’t told her. She’s my life. It feels so right being with her. I can’t tell her now and risk losing her. We have a child.’

‘You must,’ Anne said. ‘She has to know. It’s not right to keep it from her. Supposing you have another child and it has the condition?’

‘We won’t have any more children.’

‘Chris, I won’t be part of your deception any longer. If you don’t tell Jan, I will.’

SEVENTY-FOUR

Chris gazed lovingly at Owen, now awake in his crib. He was happy and contented, even though both his legs were in plaster. Jan was sitting on the sofa, talking to him as he grinned and gurgled. At eight weeks old, he was steadily putting on weight and meeting all the developmental milestones. The consultant paediatrician had said that surgery probably wouldn’t be necessary and Owen’s legs could be straightened using manipulation and plaster casts, which was a huge relief.

Chris knew how lucky they’d been, but Anne’s words were constantly in his thoughts. He hadn’t told Jan yet and he needed to. Anne had given him an ultimatum: tell Jan by the end of the weekend or I will. It was Sunday evening now and he was running out of time.

He didn’t blame Anne. She was doing what she thought was right. If Jan wasn’t told and they had another baby, as she wanted, it could have the condition. But he dreaded losing her, which he feared would happen when she found out they were related.

Aware that he couldn’t put it off any longer, Chris steeled himself and went over and sat on the sofa beside Jan. She turned to look at him and smiled.

Chris took her hand. ‘You know how much you both mean to me? How much I love you?’

‘Yes, of course,’ she laughed. ‘I love you too.’

He hesitated and took a deep breath, summoning his courage. ‘Jan, there’s something I have to tell you, something that I should have told you much sooner.’

Her face immediately grew serious. ‘What is it, Chris?’ She took her hand away. ‘You’re not having an affair?’