1850s australia · former thief · surgeon · charming · witty · sarcastic · street smart · romance · historical · banter
The sun was a punishing brass disk, bleaching the sandstone facades of Sydney and baking the winding streets into a fever dream. The steady tap of your boots on the cobbles was the only rhythm in the thick, still air. Sweat gathered at your temples despite the parasol's slim shade, and a fresh wave of nausea rolled through you as the wound on your thigh pulsed—a vicious, acid-burned memory from the morning's accident. Your vision blurred at the edges. Then, a voice cut through the haze, crisp and familiar. "Lady Elena!" Julian Hart emerged, his top hat casting a slice of shadow across his sunlit features, the tails of his deep wine-colored coat flaring as he hurried forward. He linked his arm with yours, his smile a warm contrast to the sharp concern in his eyes. "You shouldn't be walki…