Whispers in the Sand (70 page)
“I see.” She looked doubtful as she slipped into the warm jacket and pulled the scarf around her neck. As she groped in the pocket for her gloves, she gave a sudden cry of pain. “My hands! What’s happened to them? There’s blood on my scarf—there’s blood everywhere!” Her voice rose in terror.
Cohen did not blink. “It must be the cold. You’ve been a naughty girl and not worn your gloves, that’s nasty chapping.”
“But—” She looked confused. “My hands weren’t cold. I wore gloves. I don’t even get chilblains. I don’t understand…”
Sam reached for his raincoat. He suddenly felt very sick. “It’s the heavy snow coming so soon on top of a warm spell,” he said as reassuringly as he could. “I’ll prescribe something for you if you like. But I suggest scones and cream and hot tea might be the best medicines to start with, don’t you think?” He took her arm. “Come on. My car is out back.”
As he closed the door of the room behind them he knew that he would personally see to it that she did not return.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
B
arbara Erskine is the author of
Lady of Hay
and
The
Warrior’s Princess
, as well as
Kingdom of Shadows
,
Encounters
, and
Child of the Phoenix
.
Midnight is a Lonely Place
and
House of Echoes
were shortlisted for the W. H. Smith Thumping Good Read award, and they were followed by
Distant Voices
and
On the Edge of Darkness
. Erskine’s novels
Whispers in the Sand
and
Hiding from the Light
were both
Sunday Times
top-ten bestsellers. Her novels have been translated into thirty languages. Barbara Erskine has a degree in medieval Scottish history from Edinburgh University. She and her family divide their time between the Welsh borders and their home near the coast of Essex.
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