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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 closed the album, returned it to the box, then placed the parcel containing the bootees and outfit on top. She folded in the lid and left the box where she’d found it. The shine had gone out of the evening ahead. She drained the last of her coffee, and then picking up her phone texted Chris. Will understand if you want to cancel.

But his reply was instant: Wouldn’t hear of it. Looking forward to it. Pick you up at 7. See you later, Chris x

SIXTEEN

‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’ Ian asked, upset and angry. ‘I don’t understand. I didn’t think we had any secrets, and then this!’ He spread his hands open in dismay.

‘We don’t have secrets,’ Emma said. ‘Only this one. I’m sorry. I was going to tell you, but then there was so much going on with the police coming back, it didn’t seem like a good time.’

‘And now is a good time?’ he asked crossly. ‘I come home from work early to take you out, only to be told you’re not the person I married. Am I supposed to accept it just like that?’

‘I am the same person you married,’ Emma cried, hurt. ‘It’s still me.’

‘But you don’t have your father’s genes. I wasted all that time researching your family’s tree and he’s not even family!’

‘He is my family. He’s my father and I love him!’ Emma’s eyes filled.

‘But you don’t have his DNA!’ Ian said, equally frustrated. ‘You have the DNA of someone else, a donor, a stranger. You must see that?’

‘Yes, I know, but Mum said the donor couldn’t possibly be responsible for the defective gene because all donors are thoroughly screened.’

‘How can she be certain?’

‘They went to a proper clinic and all donors had their DNA checked to make sure they didn’t pass on anything.’

‘What clinic?’ Ian asked. ‘Where is it?’

‘I don’t know,’ Emma said helplessly. ‘I didn’t ask. It doesn’t matter to me. It never has.’

‘It matters to me and my research,’ Ian snapped.

‘Too much!’ Emma retaliated. ‘I know why you’re so angry. It’s because this has shown I can’t have the defective gene. You haven’t found anything on my mother’s side, you told me that, and now this rules out my father too. So it has to be you! I think you’ve become obsessed with this, Ian. Look at all these death certificates.’ She grabbed a handful and threw them at him. ‘It’s taken over, Ian. It’s ridiculous! Let it go. It’s destroying us.’

There was silence as they both glared at each other. Then Ian said more gently, ‘What happened to us was unimaginably horrible, and I have to find out what caused it. Whether I am to blame or not.’