Distant Voices

Distant Voices
Barbara Erskine

In her second volume of short stories, which follows the hugely successful 'Encounters', Barbara Erskine has created a compelling world of love, betrayal, suspense and grief.A biographer investigating a tragic death hears voices from the past drawing her towards the truth…A nineteenth century parson’s daughter is caught up in the excitement and romance of a smuggling intrigue…A young boy from a deprived background finds his own haven in the wastelands of the inner city…Contemporary, historical, spooky, and humorous – there are over thirty delightful stories, each one guaranteed to capture the reader’s imagination, and all demonstrating Barbara Erskine’s unique powers as a storyteller.

Copyright (#ucb02431f-148f-514c-8134-1ff71355e2c9)

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

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

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 1996

This edition published by Harper 2017

Copyright © Barbara Erskine 1996 and as follows:

‘The Toy Soldier’ (Woman’s Weekly) 1996; ‘Writer’ (Chic Magazine) 1996; ‘Aboard the Moonbeam’ (Woman’s Story) 1976; ‘Dance Little Lady’ (Rio) 1981; ‘Distant Voices’ (Woman’s Weekly) 1994; ‘A Family Affair’ (Rio); ‘The Fate of the Phoenix’ (Woman’s Weekly) 1993; ‘Flowers for the Teacher’ (Your Story) 1975; ‘Moment of Truth’ (Romance Magazine) 1978; ‘The Poet’ (Judy) 1976; ‘Stranger’s Choice’ (Scottish Home & County); ‘A Test of Love’ (Romance) 1976; ‘To Adam, a Son’ (Truly Yours) 1975; ‘Watch the Wall, My Darling’ (Woman’s Realm) 1989; ‘When the Chestnut Blossoms Fall’ (Woman’s World); ‘Choices’ (Sunday Post) 1996; ‘Island Shadows’ (Sunday Post) 1996

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2017

Cover images © Shutterstock.com (http://Shutterstock.com)

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.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008180911

Ebook Edition © January 2017 ISBN: 9780007375103

Version: 2017-09-08

Praise (#ucb02431f-148f-514c-8134-1ff71355e2c9)

‘Written with imagination, and spiced with a sharp observation of human foibles. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better book for your bedside table.’

Yorkshire Evening Post

Dedication (#ucb02431f-148f-514c-8134-1ff71355e2c9)

In Memory of

‘Uncle Stuart’

STUART ERSKINE BIRRELL

1887–1916

a kindred spirit

Table of Contents

Cover (#ubb535062-43f0-5f96-97e3-23b97b559981)

Title Page (#ucdc45aad-f5ee-5544-85f3-ae116870f852)

Copyright (#ubdfe81b5-bf4a-536b-834b-bf78fbd1ffd2)

Praise (#u6c83818d-59fd-584b-a68d-9655162f4214)

Dedication (#ubd18ec69-d778-5549-b249-ba1f5c0769da)

Preface (#u25f506fa-3db1-5c54-a47f-c6e543045e4f)

Distant Voices (#ue9fcd53c-e7ee-5bfc-90a1-879a3b3741b0)

The Drop Out (#uff0ab3f1-15a6-59ce-b4f0-caa51f8618eb)

Moment of Truth (#u78b841b6-2837-554c-aa54-cc86ab5f9116)

The Duck Shoot Man (#uea2a42dd-9fbf-5d9b-b719-42a0ee06cd58)

Frost (#u0fd2f51a-7278-51ca-a094-324f00ca2278)

The Fairy Child (#u5ddea54b-bf14-589a-9e2c-d23f98aed84c)

Who Done It? (#udce5f263-a3c4-5ce7-b5d7-c6e4ea08ad04)

Watch the Wall, My Darling (#u263df6f1-716d-5296-9a17-558edc5ca94e)

OBE (#litres_trial_promo)

The Gift of Music (#litres_trial_promo)

Island Shadows (#litres_trial_promo)

A Test of Love (#litres_trial_promo)

Witchcraft for Today (#litres_trial_promo)

The Poet (#litres_trial_promo)