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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

‘Hello,’ Chris said, his voice flat. He tried to smile but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Perhaps he’d changed his mind about taking her out after all.

‘Are you OK?’ she asked, pausing before fastening her seatbelt.

‘Yes, thanks, are you?’ He slipped the car into first gear and pulled away.

‘I’ve had a busy day,’ she said, making conversation. ‘I boarded up the hole in the hedge again, took Tinder to the village and then had a visit from the police.’ She had expected Chris to be surprised by the mention of the police, but he wasn’t.

‘I know,’ he said, concentrating on the road ahead. ‘DC Matt Davis was the officer you saw. Not sure why it merited CID. He stopped off at the village store after he’d been to see you. He knows Lillian and my brother.’

‘Oh, of course, I should have guessed,’ Jan said with a smile. Everyone knew everyone else here.

But there was an awkward silence.

‘Have you had a good day?’ she asked.

‘It was OK. I was working locally. But, Jan, I don’t understand why you involved the police. I thought we’d agreed it wasn’t necessary.’

She looked at him again, but his face was expressionless. ‘I just felt it was wise to report it,’ she said. ‘Why does it matter? What’s the problem?’

‘No problem, but news travels fast round here.’

‘So? Matt didn’t find anything.’

‘He wouldn’t, not during the day.’

‘So he might have found something if he’d come at night?’ she asked, with a stab of unease.

‘I meant you only have the problem at night, don’t you?’

‘Mostly. Although I’m sure I saw someone today when I walked into the village.’

Chris didn’t reply but stared straight ahead, apparently concentrating on the uneven road surface.

Jan wished she hadn’t come. The evening was already a disaster and it had hardly begun. She was about to make an excuse to return home when Chris turned to her. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I can be a moody bugger sometimes. Let’s start the evening again, shall we? I’ve booked us a table at a really nice restaurant.’

‘Yes, I know,’ she said, relieved.

‘You do? How?’

‘Lillian told me. News travels fast round here.’

‘Touché,’ he said, and this time his smile did reach his eyes.

NINETEEN