Since he had sat and eaten with her this morning she had been teasing him. They had been sat opposite rather than seated next to each other with James at the head of the 8 seated table. And typically, Sybil's foot had been somewhere provocative from the moment Cole had sat to eat.

His rising interest for her was only hidden by the large expanse of mahogany and the aged silken tablecloth that lay atop. Cole was forever grateful that the moth bitten and stained material hid everything underneath it. Even the small dogs that swept up the crumbs as they fell. "Sybil?" Cole questioned, opposite her as he cut into his protein rich feast.

"Dorian-" She smiled in response and carried on. "You surprised me this day. I was not expecting to see you until much later this week."

Cole bit his lip and stifled his moan, choosing instead to draw it out on a piece of buttered toast. "Tis true, one cannot keep away from such a creature as yourself. One only wishes to bestow praises on you my dear. To love and to cherish."

James looked like he was having a hard time keeping his food down. "Can you not do this whilst I eat. Surely as I am to be the man of this house can you afford me with some decorum, Dorian, SYBIL?" He asked, raising his voice toward the end as he observed his own flesh and blood making positively vile facial expressions at the man opposite.

Both had looked up toward the head of the table at the sharp snapping tone.

Sybil was the first to laugh, shortly followed by Cole. And soon, thereafter, James, the 'man of the house' had retired and fled from his early morning breakfast, as if the meal were to have legs of its own and chase him away.

It left both lovers alone, staring wistfully at each other. Eyes burning deeply into each others soul. Her soul was innocence, through and through, Cole was too, to a certain extent but Dorian's soul. His soul was as tarnished as they came and almost on par with Frankensteins'. This hedonistic lifestyle made Dorian want more. He wasn't just happy with the one experience, he wanted to try more, to push himself and see how much his body could take. Truth be told and abhorred, that Cole had experienced so much indulgence these past three nights, than he had during his entire young life in Ninjago. His eyes, now well and truly opened to the depravity of Dorian's lifestyle.

Cole swallowed deeply with her next move. The beautiful creature had vanished amongst the swathes of stained silk tablecloth. Cole only felt her presence a few seconds later and never had he gripped the table as hard as he did then.

"Sybil-" Cole said as he pushed her against her bedroom wall, "I am only ever devoted to you, Forever entranced by your beauty."

She had rid him of his ivory shirt, that just had to go. Her hands were allowed to wander over the suppleness underneath. The warmth and firmness of him everywhere she traced. "You were so eager to reciprocate for my misgivings earlier?"

He nodded at her slowly whilst his free hand pulled the ribbon strap as it trailed off her shoulder. "Yet you are so open with the love you bestow. Would you have me take you whilst your brother looks on, in the same room? Would have me take you if your mother was here too, like this?"

As yet she was not speaking, just gasping with him and in time with him as he moved tantalizingly slow. "You would happily oblige me of this?" He asked and watched her facial expression contorting from pleasure to sinful indulgence as he imagined his face to be expressing.

He remembered from Dorian's perspective, the day he first saw her performing. Twas a shady theatre district. A small and rather dingy establishment that no refinery of London folk would ever dare to walk, at least, at nightfall. During the day, the place was awash with people. Market stalls mostly, all selling their wares, scraps and other such things that earned them a meagre wage and kept them a mere hair's breadth from complete poverty.

But the area didn't bother Dorian as such. He was only after her, pursuing her until he would make his mark and claim her as his own. And when he had found her again, he was captivated. Dorian had sat and had watched with rapture as this beautiful redhead came onto the stage and read her lines flawlessly. He noted that no matter the amount of shows she performed, Sybil controlled the stage, commandeered it and bent it to her will, just as she was with Cole and her expectations of him and his body.

Cole's lips had smashed against hers as he quickly claimed another part of her, just as she was with him.

Sybil was impressed with this strength that he exuded. She wasn't so sure of when he had been capable of this but she said nothing of it. The only coherence she was capable of was short intakes of breath. Her mind was attempting to speak but no words were uttered out-loud. For her it was like stage fright, an inability to speak, but it wasn't fright that was causing this lack of words.

He held her up easily against the wall, Maybe it helped that Cole was an ace with the chin up bar on the Bounty. He could do it one handed too, raise himself of the floor and up over the bar using his upper body strength and core muscles. It was something that Jay wasn't quite capable of. Kai could do it too. He'd never shied away from competition either, same with Zane. Although the chin up bar had to be reinforced and welded when Zane tried, because titanium was heavy and the first chin up bar cracked and splintered under the pressure.

But Sybil was so petite, shorter than Cole by a full foot and incredibly light weight in comparison. Now both hands free he placed her gently on her own bed. "Exquisite Sybil-" He bit his lip as he looked down at her. Dorian was quick to join her again and from his new position, he growled up at her. "-Like a fine wine decanted just for me." He grasped her thigh and squeezed tightly.

Her lust was rekindling his fire, and all Dorian wanted was this, for this moment. Cole wasn't exactly shunning the idea either. If anything he was learning a great deal more about Dorian than he had first realized. It wasn't like he had a girlfriend during his time on the Bounty, not that he had bothered to look. He had just accepted to focus his mind and body on his training and leadership qualities than his own wants and needs.

Although, shamefully, Cole knew and regretted that he had pursued Nya at one stage but they had never gotten past second base. She was cruel anyway, deserved her lot. 'A female vampire. The vampiress with no heart, it suits her really. Considering how much she played with Jay's and strung him along like a puppet on a string, a marionette.'

His mind, yet again was brought back to the here and now moment. This, that he was feeling now, was amazing. Every time Dorian spent with Sybil, Cole had felt the invigoration of her touch and her body. That feeling of being joined was indescribable. And, no matter how bone tired afterwards, he felt that she reignited that spark time and time again.

He was grinning against her as he kissed his way back up, " You are looking forward to our union?" He asked as he lowered onto his elbows.

She closed her eyes, biting her lip hard to prevent her from shouting out aloud. "My heart is contented with you Dorian, of this I have never been more sure."

"You are ready?" He asked with a grin.

Of course, his question had two meanings. One of which she needed not answer because he could already tell.

"Where is the union to take place? I mean to find out, considering I shall be the groomsman."

"Mother decided Lake Como." Sybil moaned against Cole's lips.

He faltered slightly. "Italy, you wish for our unity to happen in Italy?"

There was a horrendous shiver that accompanied the mention of this location. Something that was inexplicably linked to Victor and Jay but the thought and notion never came to him. It stayed in his mind, the name going over and over, forwards and backwards, in and out.

He couldn't make any sense of it, but he knew it to be ominous somehow.

Lake Como was nearest the foothills of the Alps, in the northernmost parts of Italy. Surrounded by utterly beautiful landscape, almost as beautiful as Sybil. He was surprised that Mrs Vane had enough to pay for the trip let alone for the wedding. Unless of course, James was paying for it too.

Oh how unfortunate that the big brother would have to work so hard so as to pay the dowry on his own sisters matrimony. And all because Sybil's father had passed in her early childhood. But then this was the Victorian ages, and a woman in this fine upstanding country could lose her house and status if she had no dowry nor income. Some younger women of outstanding beauty and good teeth would be married off again quickly so as to avoid shaming the family.

Cole regained some of his senses back from Dorian and looked down at her as her back arched off the mattress. He was loving it just as much as Dorian was.

The feeling of her as she ran her fingers through his hair, and she was pulling it hard. Dorian didn't care and if Cole was honest with himself, at this exact moment he didn't care either.

This pain was nothing compared to the red hot candle wax Dorian had endured a few months prior or the beating he'd received a few weeks after that. A few hairs being pulled from his scalp was like a few cat scratches. Cole's pain threshold was far stronger than Dorian's but it seemed that neither felt pain for very long. Only the picture showed the pain, the body healed faster, almost quicker than the eyes could watch.

The only thing that became stronger was the pleasure.

It was just a sign of how passionate she was.

The whole afternoon and most of the evening was like a silent showing at the theatres. The types that would be full of loose women and ladies of the night.

Cole was shocked with just how eager she was to please him. She had let him have his way with her, multiple times and, in many a sordid position. Vātsyāyana's Sanskrit text of the Kāmasūtra had nothing on Cole now. Both had reached obscene levels of pleasure before collapsing in on themselves.

Cole had kissed her goodbye, pulling his cream collar up to hide the vast amount of love bites she had given. "I shall see you in a few days, yes?"

She said nothing, just nodded.

And when she nodded, Cole could see the love bites he had adorned her with. Luckily, the other bites he gave her were hidden and would only be seen by her own dressmaker tomorrow when she was due to be measured for her bridal gown.

He ached when he left that early evening. And he ached in other places when he boarded his own carriage.

The housekeeper had taken it upon herself to call his own residence and had thoughtfully arranged for his own men to collect him rather than expect the young prestigious aristocrat to use London's own filthy carriage's. Those carriages would often be frequented by whores and their lowly paying clientele.

This time of year, after all, was considerably damp in comparison to the summer months of which were just around the corner. And besides, who wanted a romp in the damp side streets of London when they could use a carriage for such lewd acts.

Cole took a deep sigh, he looked depressingly at his fob watch. It was early evening and he was due at the riverfront. "Thames Docks please, I have a meeting to attend in less than an hour." Cole mumbled.

He got into his own black carriage. He smiled once inside, not caring in the slightest that he still hadn't freshened up, nor bathed. His black cravat had been done up and looked perfect thanks in part to Sybil's flawless stylistic touch.

He knew he was in his own carriage. He didn't even have to open or shut the door because it would be done for him. Everything inside the carriage was just how he liked it. It was black, just as dark as his tarnished soul. The same soul he had promised to the devil for his eternal life. The only thing that gave him that long life was the accursed picture. The picture was the only thing that would guarantee that long and illustrious life that Dorian so craved above all.

He leaned back in his carriage and felt the lurch forward as the two black mares pulled the black carriage into motion. His mind was on Sybil, and only on her. What she had allowed him to do even if it defiled her somewhat, she was still eager to please him, to oblige his needs.

It was fair to say that Cole was now quite experienced….thanks to Dorian's overly indulgent desires for the immoral life that he was being told to live.

A few hours later and he had arrived back at his own home. It was west of London. Up river from Victor's own place and far away enough from Lloyd's territory.

His mind was wandering back to Jay on occasion.

And, he wondered if he should have gone at all, considering how unstable Jay was when he had left. Was Jay as Lloyd said he was, was the blue ninja going insane? Did he do the right thing in leaving so late against Zane's guidance and pleading tone, even if the erstwhile titanium ninja could do with a little help in the art of being tactful in delivering well-meant advice?

He decided at the last minute to just wait at his own home for any telegram or call that would need his immediate attention. He still had things to see to, considering the hour was late. Furthermore, he still had Dorian's life to keep under control and his own persona to keep under wraps. So he swiftly exited his carriage as soon as the door was opened. Nodding politely at his own groomsmen, Cole walked up the steps to his own stark white London townhouse.

A few handwritten calligraphy notes were placed within his grasp. It seemed that the order of business this evening was to arrange the dowry that Mrs. Vane had offered to pay in marrying her daughter off. And this was despite Dorian's strong protestations of ignoring marital protocol. He knew how costly the dowry could be and he had offered to pay it himself but she was a traditional woman. Raised as virtuous as she believed her only daughter to be.

Sybil, after this morning, was anything but virtuous and neither was Cole.

No sooner had Cole entered Dorian's home he was given the remainder of the days' meetings to attend. He had a banquet to prepare for and an in-depth but rather laborious discussion with Lord Wootton to heed.

And, he had just been given a telegram that he recognized immediately. The address was from the residence of which he had been at almost twelve hours ago.

It was an apology, of sorts. A hand written physicians note with barely legible writing that had been delivered to the Gray residence at dawn's light. Cole hadn't been here to accept it but he still took it to heart and chose to go to his sitting room rather than his bedroom. He was thankful that the telegram was written in informal English rather than the overly complicated wordings they used in this day and age. It meant that who ever read it would have a hard time deciphering what was written. People rarely used conjunctions here.

FAO Dorian,

I'm sorry Cole, I didn't mean to snap at you.

This isn't easy for any of us, in fact it's still new and some of us feel so completely out of our depth. Please, when you're free, can you come back. We still need to talk and to clear the air. I realise that there were things said that weren't meant but it was just the heat of the moment. And the resulting fall out from what had happened with Jay being bitten.

Jay's still the same. He's slept all night. I had to sedate him eventually, he wouldn't rest.

I also thought I should let you know that Kai and Nya have come round. And I mean, that they have apologised to Jay, in fact to everyone...except you.

We need to talk, Cole. We need to get answers and we need to make a plan.

Once again, I'm sorry, hope to see you tomorrow.

Lloyd AKA J&H

"Sir Gray?"

"Yes?" Cole replied to his alter ego's name effortlessly, like he'd already associated with Dorian. He placed the large tubs of French powder concealer down on the table. It was something he bought today for a certain invisible man, something to give him a little more definition.

"Anything you would like Sir?"

Thinking about that simple request. The sorts of things that Cole would have to do himself when he lived on Bounty he just did them. But to be asked of simple activities of daily living was odd to observe, even stranger to be given a choice.

It was a relief not to have to think of how to ask for things in this day and age, his Victorian dialect took over easily. "Draw me a bath and prepare my outfit for the banquet?"

It wasn't meant as a question and the servant didn't take it as one. He simply turned to face the master of the house, "As you wish Sir. I'll do it right away, also -" He stalled his exit into the dimly lit dark wood hallway, "-Sir Henry will be here soon. He has matters of urgency that he requires your assistance with."

Cole turned his head to look at his man servant. "I thought he was due to converse about such matters this evening?"

The man servant, looked mildly apologetic at this. "It was meant for much later this evening but he felt the need to come earlier. I rather think it involves his daughter and her coming of age."

Cole's eyebrow rose at that snippet. That would make Sir Henry a good 50 years old. "The Lady Emily is eighteen now, time has passed thus?"

The man servant nodded, "Yes sir, she shall be attending too, as his companion and he her chaperone."

Cole smirked to himself. He still had his back to his man servant. "Thank you."