It's All Relative

Isla could never have imagined the secrets her birthday present might reveal.

ISLA MCCLURE the e-mail from the site she reread genealogy belonged to and decided they'd made a mistake.

According to the message, Hamish Borland's DNA matched with hers as "Close family first cousin".

She gazed out the window of her Inverness home at the darkening winter sky.

How was it possible to have a first cousin she knew nothing about?

For a start, no-one in the family carried the surname of Borland, and from the look of the man's profile picture, he was closer in age to her father's fifty something than any of her younger relatives.

With a shrug, she swiped the message away and shut off her phone.

It was Friday night, and she and her husband, Blake, had booked at a local restaurant for dinner.

"I had a strange e-mail today," she told Blake an hour later.

"It said my DNA matched with a cousin I've never heard of before."

Blake lowered his menu.

"And you don't think that's possible?"

"No. I mean, how could it be?"

"Well, maybe there's a secret branch of your family tree nobody ever talks about."

"I shouldn't think so. Mum and Dad bought me that DNA kit as a birthday present.

"If either of them suspected it might stir up trouble, they would never have given it to me."

"I'm sure you're right," Blake said.

"I am," Isla replied.

At least, she hoped she was.

Isla woke the next morning to the clatter of crockery and the soft scent of chamomile tea.

A moment later, Blake appeared with her pink mug and a bowl of porridge and blueberries.

"I'm hitting the gym this morning," he said. "Feel like tagging along?"

She sat up and plumped her pillow.

"No, you go ahead. I'm calling in to see Gran today. Next week, though, I promise."

Blake chuckled and picked up his gym bag.

"Now, where have I heard that before?"