Twenty-two-year-old Jacob Tomkins is sentenced to seven years’ labour in the fledgling colony of Sydney Town, Australia. The voyage across the sea is arduous. He is travelling with mean, street-hardened criminals, some of whom would like to use him for their pleasure. Fortunately he meets Peter, who takes Jacob under his wing. Together they find moments of pleasure amid the drudgery of the voyage. They share their hopes and dreams, and finally declare their love for each other upon the eve of their arrival in Sydney Town -- a place where the currency is rum, distilled and controlled by the powerful military. But what will happen once they disembark? The chances of remaining together are slim. A lot can happen in seven years, especially when Jacob’s new master takes a liking to him. Is their love strong enough to survive the ravages of time? Can they survive the rigors of their sentences?

Across the Sea

“I didn’t choose to fall in love with another man. They say it’s unnatural. It seems natural enough to me. To Peter and Jasper as well, I daresay.”


“I agree with you wholeheartedly. I don’t see how loving anyone can be wrong. As long as you’re not doing it right there on the table in front of me.”


They looked at each other and burst into laughter.


“What’s going on here?” asked Jasper.


He removed his riding hat and Jacob jumped up from the table to help him off with his coat and boots.


“Just sharing a joke, sir,” said Polly.


“Have we had a visitor?” asked Jasper. “I passed a man on the road, riding towards town.”


“Yes we did. A friend of mine from a very long time ago.”


Jasper’s smile wavered, though he forced it back into place. “A friend. I’ve never heard you talk of any friends.”


Jacob put Jasper’s boots on a small wooden rack in the mud room to be cleaned later then returned to the kitchen.


Chapter 51