Whispers in the Sand

Whispers in the Sand
Barbara Erskine

From the bestselling author of Lady of Hay comes Whispers in the Sand, set in richly mysterious Egypt, where past and present collide.Recently divorced Anna Fox decides to cheer herself up by retracing a journey her great grandmother Louisa made in the mid-nineteenth century – a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Anna carries with her two of Louisa’s possessions: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle and an illustrated diary of the original cruise that has lain unread for over a hundred years.As she follows in Louisa’s footsteps, Anna discovers in the diary a wonderful Victorian love story – and the chilling secret of the little glass bottle. Meanwhile two men from the tour party develop an unfriendly rivalry for her attention, while showing a disturbing interest in Louisa’s mementoes. Most frightening of all, Anna finds herself the victim of a spectral presence that grows in strength and threat as the dramatic stories from three different eras intertwine in a terrifying climax.

Copyright (#ulink_d2867cd3-80e6-5970-b561-b50990f2c407)

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

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London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in 2000

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016

Copyright © Barbara Erskine 2016

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016

Cover photographs © Sylvain Grandadam /Getty Images (feluccas on River Nile); Richard Jenkins Photography (woman)

Barbara Erskine asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Source ISBN: 9780007288649

Ebook Edition © March 2016 ISBN: 9780007320998

Version: 2017-09-07

Dedication (#ulink_f8a051f4-0c13-5a27-9db8-028b0aabde2b)

The quotations at the head of each chapter are adapted from

The Book of the Dead edited by E A Wallis Budge

Epigraph (#ulink_cfb62db5-6739-5322-9aaf-4d56d7820429)

THE WHITE EGRETITINERARY

Note: alterations to the schedule are subject to change without prior notice

Most evenings there are film shows and talks in the lounge bar on different aspects of ancient and modern Egypt

There can be little doubt that the first vessels of glass were manufactured in Egypt under the 18th dynasty, particularly from the reign of Amenhotep II (1448–20 BC) onward. These vessels are distinguished by a peculiar technique: the shape required was first formed of clay (probably mixed with sand) fixed to a metal rod. On this core the body of the vessel was built up, usually of opaque blue glass. On this, in turn, were coiled threads of glass of contrasting colour, which were pulled alternately up and down by a comb-like instrument to form feather, zigzag or arcade patterns. These threads, usually yellow, white or green in colour, and sometimes sealing-wax red, were rolled in (marvered) flush with the surface of the vessel. The vessels so made were nearly always small, being mainly used to contain unguents and the like.

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Contents

Cover (#ub0c04efb-b358-5b6e-a141-d55a5db53391)

Title Page (#ucfc08b6c-c61b-576d-b046-96154b7640a5)

Copyright (#uf1c9ad9d-da06-57b8-b2ec-981973e0832a)

Dedication (#u276f86dc-11b1-57e4-bdf1-0895be2a36c2)

Epigraph (#ue9a6db45-d844-528b-9060-2ae8ace97c05)

Prologue (#u4c75fc73-0ba4-5a9b-af6f-aa1ceb7a1ea3)

Chapter One (#u661db099-58b2-5b18-96b3-fd79a73284f5)

Chapter Two (#u4a355b8b-b4f2-5b89-bf34-f59bb2b44603)

Chapter Three (#ua985cf1f-eded-5616-bd39-b8bfa1b6ce67)

Chapter Four (#ub028d216-94de-53ea-a165-184881f9020c)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)