No thanks to Rosie, I just about managed to finish before the taxi came to take us to the airport. The flight to the Outer Hebrides took three hours, including a quick stopover at Glasgow, and when we stepped out of the airport at the other end I couldn’t believe how much colder it was. It had been a sunny twenty-five degrees back in London, but here it was barely fifteen, and the sky was choked with thick grey clouds. 23

I flagged down a taxi and asked the driver to take us to the town. We were staying the night in a youth hostel before catching a boat the next morning. Rosie and I spent a very boring hour walking round the quiet little town and then headed back to the hostel for the rest of the afternoon. We had dinner in the canteen and hung out in the lounge for a while, playing table football. After a while, Rosie called it a night and went upstairs. I promised I’d be right behind her, but first I wandered into the small library, intending to take a look at the lighthouse photos I’d spotted from the doorway earlier.

Only there was someone already there, standing before the photos with his back to me – a tall blond man. He made a sound, which I thought was a snort of laughter at first, but then realized it was a sob. His shoulders were actually shaking. I froze, wondering whether I should ask if he needed any help, or if that would just be weird…

Before I could decide, a boy about my age walked in from the side entrance. I couldn’t help noticing that he was very good-looking, with fair, windswept hair and grey eyes. He didn’t see me – his gaze went straight to the man, and he hurried over. I guessed 24at once they must be father and son because they looked so alike.

“Dad,” he said softly, reaching out a hand. “Can I—”

I was shocked when the older man practically smacked the boy’s hand away. “You’ve done enough,” he snarled.

Now that the older man had turned, I could see the tears on his cheeks and that his eyes were bloodshot.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. “I’m only here because your mother begged me to come with you. It’s breaking her heart that you’re set on this, so I’m here for her sake, not yours. If you cared about her at all, you’d be at home right now.” A pleading tone came into his voice. “We could leave tonight and be back in time for breakfast. It’s not too late.”

A carefully blank look came over the boy’s face, and suddenly there was a coolness in his grey eyes, but his voice was calm as he slowly shook his head. “It is too late.”