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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

‘Oh, I am sorry, Ian. I can see how upset you are. It must have come as a huge shock to find out like that.’ She went over to give him a hug, but his attention was already on the laptop again.

‘You can see now why my mother told me early on,’ Emma said. ‘It wasn’t a shock for me. I grew up knowing I came from donor sperm.’

Ian nodded.

‘What are you doing now?’

‘Trying to find out how to get our DNA tested. Testing is far more sophisticated now than it was when we were conceived, so it may show up something that wasn’t picked up before. Also …’ He hesitated. Did she have to know this? Yes, she did. ‘We’re nearly the same age, so I’m guessing our parents must have used the clinic quite close together. I need to confirm we don’t have the same donor.’

‘What! You mean there’s a chance we may have?’ Emma stared at him, horrified.

‘Not according to Carstan Moller, but I want to check. If – heaven forbid – we do have the same donor, it could explain why we can’t have healthy babies.’

‘But Mr Moller told you we didn’t?’ Emma said.

‘Yes.’

‘Well, he’s not likely to have made a mistake with something so important.’

‘He may have and now he’s lying to cover his back,’ Ian said, concentrating on the screen.

Emma stared at him incredulously. ‘You think that’s possible?’

But Ian was still engrossed in what he was doing. ‘Here’s what we need,’ he said, tapping the keys. ‘Websites offering DNA tests. This one looks good – MyGeneticHistory.com – £60 each. They send us the kit to take samples of our saliva. The results are back in three working days. Perfect. Can you pass me my wallet, love, it’s in my jacket pocket. If I order now, we should have the kits at the weekend.’

‘And then what happens?’ Emma asked. ‘Will you be satisfied or will you not believe them either? I am sure you’re wrong, Ian. This is all taking over. Here’s your wallet. I’m going for a shower.’

TWENTY-SEVEN

Jan wasn’t nervous about living in the cottage as Chris had said, she told herself. His comments the evening before were still annoying her, together with his behaviour – first at the restaurant and then denying he’d seen a figure running from the cottage. She still had no idea what had got into him, but today she was going to prove him wrong and show she wasn’t nervous, by taking Tinder for a walk in Coleshaw Woods. DS Matt Davis had said how lovely the woods were at this time of year and that she was missing out. So now, empowered by hurt pride and daylight, she was going!