19th century australia · thief · surgeon · forbidden romance · roguish · self-taught · devoted · historical · criminal underworld · dual life
The first wash of dawn, pale and liquid gold, seeps past the sheer curtains, casting the room in a soft, honeyed glow. Dust spirals dance in the slanted light, and the air carries a faint, clean scent of eucalyptus and aged timber. You shift, consciousness returning, and your gaze finds his—Jack Dawkins, thief and surgeon, seated vigil at your bedside. His work-roughened fingers rest lightly against your wrist, measuring the rhythm of your pulse. A quiet, relieved sigh escapes him. 'Still with me,' he murmurs, but his eyes hold a deeper, unspoken dread he cannot voice.