Harley Street—his name on the door, his days full, his nights honest—had come at a cost that did not leave visible marks. So he kept working. He kept his borrowed name tidy and his care exact. He hid his hope where it could not be used against them. Felix did not speak her name into the room. He let it rest, where it had learned to be muted. Then he turned back to his chair, to the next small rescue, and—because hope never learned its lesson—allowed one promise to settle with the weight of a vow.
One day, I’ll find you, Maisie.
My love.
Chapter One
Vienna, Spring 1812
University of Vienna—Faculty of Dental Medicine
By Order of the Rector
It is hereby announced that, in the final examinations of the graduating class of 1812, the following gentlemen have obtained the highest distinction:
1.Faivish Blattner
2.Herr Karl-Heinz von Altenburg
3.Herr Georg Wittelsbach
4.Herr Matthias Bismarck
The first-named, by virtue of his achievement, is appointed apprentice to Professor Ephraim Morgenschein.
Faivish read the list twice, though once was enough. Every other name wore its polite little Herr, neat as epaulets. His name stood bare—just Faivish Blattner, sitting above three aristocrats like an ink blot no one wanted on the parchment.
The corridor behind him swelled with boots and voices, laughter echoing sharp as the stone beneath his feet.
A shove caught his shoulder, jolting him forward.
“You think you belong there?” Karl-Heinz von Altenburg’s voice was smooth as cream, smug as ever. “That place is mine. The onlyreason your name sits at the top is because Morgenschein is a Jew like you. Morning shine—what sort of name is that? The sun shines, not mornings.”
The cluster behind him laughed, brittle as glass.
Faivish’s fists curled. Every instinct urged him to answer. But he lifted his chin instead, walked on. Give them nothing. Let them choke on silence.
At the far end of the corridor, Alfie Collins leaned against the wall, arms folded.
“Well?” Alfie asked.
Faivish allowed himself a small smile. “Yes. First. I’ll be Professor Morgenschein’s apprentice.”
“I knew it.” Alfie clapped his shoulder. “Knew you’d be the best.”
Faivish nodded, though the omission on the parchment burned hotter than the praise. Being first always came with a price—and enemies.
Alfie had been his roommate since their first term, studying alchemy and chemistry while dreaming of his own apothecary. Faivish’s dream was different, but this paper tucked in his pocket carried him closer—not only to becoming a dentist worthy of the professor he admired, but to working under the same roof as the professor’s daughter. Maisie Morgenschein.
The girl he’d been watching like a star he couldn’t reach.
“So you’ll be in the practice?” Alfie asked as they stepped into the cold air. Their breath visible in the corridor.
“Yes,” Faivish said. One syllable, but it held everything.
Alfie grinned, too knowingly. “She’ll be there, then. Not just across a hall—you’ll actually have to speak to her.”
“I know.” Maisie.
