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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

‘I’ve been researching and a good place to start would be to look at our family trees. It’s pretty easy now online. Then we can apply for death certificates, which will tell us what our relatives died of. I’ve already started on my family. Let me show you.’

Emma watched as Ian fetched his laptop and returned to sit next to her on the sofa. She hadn’t seen him so enthusiastic about anything in a long while.

‘What made you think of this?’ she asked him.

‘I watched a programme on television a few nights ago about the way information is passed down through our genes. It was fascinating. It said marrying a cousin is often a bad idea because inbreeding can lead to genetic conditions and mutations. It got me thinking about us. I know we’re not cousins but there could be something in our families that has lain dormant for generations and would have continued to do so had we not met and tried to have children. Many inherited conditions are only passed on if both parents are carriers – cystic fibrosis, for example. Do you see what I’m getting at?’

‘Sort of. But if you do find something, do you think the doctors will be able to treat it and stop it from happening again?’

‘I think we’re in with a chance. It will depend on how far the research has progressed. And even if there’s nothing that can be done, at least we’ll know for certain and can look at alternatives like adoption or fostering.’

‘I suppose you’re right,’ Emma agreed.

But as Ian began to show her the research he’d started on his family tree, she felt a surge of fear. There was something in her family, a secret that she’d never shared with Ian. Whether it could have any bearing on what he was trying to uncover, she wasn’t sure. But she couldn’t say anything to him until she’d spoken to her mother first.

EIGHT

Jan wondered if she should switch off the motion-sensor light because Chris had said in his text message Camile might have switched it off for a reason. Perhaps the wiring was unsafe, in which case it could catch fire. But if it was dangerous, surely Camile would have included a warning in her notes: Don’t use the light on the patio. It’s not working properly. Or something similar. There was no smell of burning coming from the switch box in the small bedroom. Jan had checked, and the light outside seemed to be OK too.

It had crossed Jan’s mind to text Chris back and apologize, but she’d decided against it – least said, soonest mended. Instead, she did what she should have done in the first place and messaged Camile: I’ve switched on the sensor light on the patio. Hope that’s OK?