Elizabeth Haynes

Bess comes up the stairs and looks almost startled to see Rachel there.

People make day trips to the Isle of May,

I absolutely loved You, Me & the Sea.

,’ she calls, knowing she’s probably gree

The boat rounds the south end of the island and chugs through a narrow channel between the rocks. The swell calms and it feels almost peaceful here, the wash of the b

Through the thickly salt-encrusted window at the front of the cabin she can see a concrete jetty

The island is about a mile long and half a mile wide, a rough oval in shape, should you be looking at it from Google 11Earth, which Rachel has done quite a lot in the last

There are three bedrooms: a double, a twin, and the smallest room, which has two bunk beds in it. There is a chilly, cheaply tiled bathroom without a bath – just a shower, a toilet and a sink. There is also a separate toilet next door to i

Women like to talk about girl code and sisterhood and fixing each other’s crowns. Women don’t mean to hurt each other, but they still do it. They’d almost rather hurt each other than hurt the bastard who caused the situation in the first place. That’s what love does to you

She can see more of the island now. The lighthouse is on the nearest side. Further along and about half a mile back is the small bird observatory that houses birdwatchers, and occasionally other people: ecology students and scientists. Her job will be to take care of the observatory, to clean it, and change the beds once a week ready for the next lot.