Chapters (82)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
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‘No, of course not. Nothing like that.’ He hesitated again. ‘You remember I told you about Ian Jennings, in connection with the Moller Clinic? He emailed all those on Moller’s list to warn them they could be affected, and tell them to get their DNA checked.’
‘Yes, vaguely, but what’s that got to do with us?’
‘You were on that list, Jan. You received an email, but it went to your old email address.’
‘What! How do you know?’
‘I looked on your laptop. I’m sorry, but I needed to check. Your parents must have used the Moller Clinic. I’ve been worried sick all these months. Owen is going to be OK, but any future children we have could be affected. Also – and this is the most difficult part – it means that biologically we are half brother and sister. I’m so sorry, Jan. I should have told you sooner, but I couldn’t risk losing you.’ He looked at her with pain and misery, expecting the worst – tears, cries of anguish and utter rejection.
Yet she remained calm, composed and cool, which seemed even worse. What was she thinking? What would she say and do?
‘That’s a lot to take in,’ she finally said. ‘Did Anne know all this time? I guess she did.’
‘Yes. I’m sorry. She wanted me to tell you straight away. I made her promise not to. But she says she can’t live with the lie any longer and you must know. I’m scared of losing you, Jan. I love you so much. I couldn’t face life without you.’
He tried to read her expression, but it was impossible.
‘It was very wrong of you not to tell me,’ she said at last.
‘Yes, I know. I’m so sorry.’
‘It was also wrong of you to look at my emails without me knowing. I trusted you.’
‘Yes. But you can see why I did it, can’t you?’ he asked in desperation.
‘A little, I suppose. Even so …’
‘You won’t leave me, will you?’ he cried. He took her hand again. ‘Not all couples like us have separated. We can stay together, but we won’t have any more children. I know we share the same biological father, but it’s not like we were brought up as brother and sister, so it’s not immoral. You won’t leave me, will you?’ he said again.
‘No,’ Jan said. ‘I won’t leave you.’
He hardly dared to believe. ‘Thank you. Thank you so much. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I won’t ever hide anything from you again.’
‘Good. But if you and Anne had told me sooner, I could have saved you both a lot of worry. There is something you don’t know.’
‘What do you mean?’ he asked apprehensively.