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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

Suddenly she started as a knock sounded on the front door. She froze. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The time on her phone showed 00.15. Who the hell was here? Not a visitor, not at this time. Her heart raced as all manner of possibilities charged through her thoughts. Perhaps she should call the police? Or could it have been the wind moving the door knocker? Already unsettled, it was possible that’s what she’d heard.

She kept very quiet and still, listening for any noise suggesting someone was there. Were they trying to break in? Her stomach churned. Her car was outside, but that wasn’t worth much. The only light on was in the living room and that couldn’t be seen from the front. Did they think the cottage was empty? Fear gripped her.

The knock came again, more insistent, then the doorbell rang. A burglar wouldn’t ring the doorbell, or would they? Perhaps it was a ploy so they could burst in when she answered. She should call the police. She picked up her phone. But what was she going to say? Someone was at her front door? Wouldn’t they tell her to see who it was, and anyway by the time they arrived out here, it would probably be too late. Either they would have gone or broken in. An image of being tied up as burglars ransacked the cottage flashed through her mind. The remoteness of the cottage that had attracted her in the first place had turned into a living nightmare.

Suddenly Jan’s phone buzzed with a text message. Her hand trembled as she looked at the screen. The message was from Chris: I’m at the front door. Are you in? I’ve got Tinder.

Utter relief. Chris was here with Tinder. She could have cried with joy. Running to the front door, she threw it open and nearly kissed them both.

‘Here you go,’ Chris said, placing Tinder in her arms.

‘Thank you so much. I’ve been worried sick. Where on earth did you find him? Come in from the rain.’ She cuddled and petted Tinder as Chris came in.

‘He was sitting outside the village store in Merryless waiting for it to open,’ Chris said. ‘It was lucky I spotted him on my way home. Goodness knows what he was doing there.’

‘Thank you,’ she said again, rubbing the top of Tinder’s head. ‘I’m so grateful.’

Chris smiled. ‘You’re welcome. I would have kept him overnight and phoned to say he was with me, but you know how he pines if he’s away from home. It makes him ill.’