Taking a long drag from her pipe, feeling the smoke fill her lungs, Lenora looked up from the bar at the wrong moment. Seeing who walked through the door in her direction set her at unease. While he was nice compared to other men, he bored her to tears and made her feel uncomfortable in a way she couldn't ever put her finger on.
Forcing a smile as he approached her, using manners that she didn't usually bother with, "So nice to see you, Mr Ortiz."
Her regular customer, Eben Ortiz, was a very well-to-do merchant who preferred to spend his time in the slums of Bluegate Fields. Unlike the other men who frequented the pub, or anywhere else around for that matter, he had a dark complexion being from the south of Spain, along with short black hair and a cropped goatee. Though he claimed to have spent most of his life in London, his Spanish accent was thick as ever.
"Good evening, Miss Nora. You don't know how much I've missed seeing your beautiful face." She grimaced but hoped he didn't see it. "If you'll allow me, I'd like to buy you dinner. Are meat pies and ale acceptable for you?"
"Yes, thank you. You go find a table and I'll make sure it's brought out." Tossing back the remainder of her ale as he turned to find a place for them to sit, Lenora couldn't decide if she wanted to actually try to enjoy his company this evening, as dull as he was, or if she was going to dread every second of it. The former would certainly make it pass by quicker so she chose that alternative.
Balancing a tray of food in one hand and holding two tankards of ale in the other by their handles, she caught a glimpse of Eben across the room as she fought through the crowd to where he was sitting. Noting that there was only one available chair, which he occupied, her heart sank. She really didn't want to sit on his lap. He'd done that several times before, as well as hold food up to her mouth to eat from his fingers, which she was unnerved by. There was something about those things that didn't feel right.
She set the food and drink on the table and quickly glanced around for an empty chair. Just her luck that there were two recently vacant, one of which she picked up and carried to the table where Eben was sitting waiting for her.
Trying to maintain some interest in him, dinner conversation was quite sparse. She didn't care about the high society he lived in and how well his business was doing. Men came to this part of town to escape the trappings of that life, just as she had escaped it once. She supposed she should feel special that he wanted her to be his mistress and take her away from the slums. But the thought of such a thing made her nauseous.
Having lost count of how many times his ale tankard was refilled, Eben was starting to become quite drunk. Which was both a blessing and a curse. Nora found herself on Eben's lap, attempting to enjoy the attention he lavished on her, as long as he wasn't feeding her out of his hand. His semi-hard prick pressed against her thigh as he fondled her breasts through her thin blouse. As he nuzzled her exposed shoulder and neck, she did feel a thrill run through her as his short whiskers touched her skin. Being both smooth and coarse at the same time, it was one of the rare things that didn't repulse her about him whenever he touched her.
Nora also figured that he was impatient to have his way with her but knew he wouldn't do anything other than grope her in the crowded room. But if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was anyone, male or female, paying her any attention, sexual or otherwise. She also knew that for that reason, she could easily drive him to a jealous fervor, which in turn would lead him to paying for extra time and rushing to their coupling. It was a necessary evil but one she didn't mind all that much as it kept her away from Henry's hawkeye for awhile.
Squirming on his lap, Nora caught the gaze of a young man across the room who kept staring at her, and smiled at him in return. Eben, noticing the visual exchange between them was not impressed to say the least.
"I come across town to see you and you can't even pay attention to me?"
"Oh it's not that, luv," making sure to throw a coquettish grin to the man across the room even as she twisted to run a hand over Eben's cheek, "I just thought I recognized him."
Growling like a cornered animal, Eben gripped her tighter in a protective hold. He'd be damned if he allowed anyone else near her. Moments like these made Nora feel uneasy, despite all the comfortable familiarities about him from somewhere she couldn't determine.
"Then perhaps I should erase him from your memory so you only have thoughts of me."
Smiling as she patted his arm that held her waist tightly and turned her head toward him, "Tonight's a busy night, Eben. I do have other customers I must see to."
Letting out another low growl, "I'd rather be your only customer tonight."
"I know you would but my boss wouldn't approve, and I have to pay my rent, which means having other customers. I'm so sorry, but there's nothing I can do about that. But I can show you a good time before you have to return home to your wife," a word that she carefully put no emphasis on.
Wincing at the painful reminder, "Gertrude doesn't hold a candle to you. I'll pay extra to have you all night."
"Why don't you show me what you've got then?" her head turned to him, chewing her bottom lip playfully.
"I believe I will! I am a man of action after all," pushing her off his lap.
Laughing, "I always pictured you as a lover, not a fighter." Changing the subject, "there should still be one private room available, if we hurry."
He followed her through the crowd to a set of rickety wooden stairs leading to a second story where there were several partitions divided by old linen curtains to give the illusion of privacy. Finding one that was available, Nora waited for him to enter before drawing the curtain closed, knowing he preferred privacy, or as much as could be provided. The small space contained nothing more than a table with a taper candle that was already lit as well as a decrepit twin size iron bed with a well-used lumpy mattress and an equally misshapen pillow. There were no bed linens as they didn't see any need for them.
She preferred to get down to business as she had others waiting downstairs but Eben wanted to take it slow and savor the moment. Kneeling on the floor in front of him, Nora peered up at him as her hand stroked him through his trousers. He was halfway there already from what she could tell. Unfastening his suspenders and trousers, his semi-erect prick sprung forward toward her. Taking it in her hand, she stroked his length while swirling her tongue over the head. Sucking it in her mouth as her tongue continued its magic, it didn't take long before he was fully hard in her hand. She licked the vein along the bottom of his shaft that made him hiss and grab her hair, tangling his fingers in her dark locks. Nora also made sure to pay attention to the sensitive skin of his balls, sucking them in her mouth as well. She continued to suck at the head and swirl and flick her tongue over it. Nora could feel him starting to tense, signaling that he was near orgasm so she stopped and pulled him out of her mouth, not wanting him to cum just yet.
Getting to her feet slowly, she playfully kissed Eben as she lowered her skirt to the floor, kicking it away. His hands roamed her torso, tugging her blouse down as far as her corset would allow and groping at her breasts, where he paused to play with the gold rings he had purchased that were embedded in her nipples. Eben had bought them for her, as he wanted her to have the trappings of an aristocratic life. Nora sucked in a breath at the sensation having grown accustomed to it over time.
He picked her up in his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and laid her on her back on the mattress. Standing up to kick off his cumbersome trousers, he then leaned forward over her, teasing her as much as she teased him with legs spread and her cunt glistening and ready for him.
Bracing his arms on either side of her, Eben kneeled on the bed between her legs. He didn't like the idea of remnants of earlier customers, hence the reason he generally refused to reciprocate oral sex on her.
Taking his cock in his hand, Eben rubbed the head along her slit, teasing her before thrusting deep inside. With each violent pump, the bed creaked loudly.
It didn't take much to distract Nora. She wasn't that interested in him, and when it came down to it, despite him being downright sweet compared to the others, she really only entertained him for the money he was willing to pay. Of course, with him in his own world, he didn't notice that she wasn't paying attention to him.
From her vantage point, she couldn't help noticing the paint peeling from the walls and ceiling. Henry was too greedy and stingy to pay for repairs of any kind to the building. Her gaze traveled to the curtain that was drawn and the shadows and movement on the other side. Inspecting her nails out of sheer boredom, she did remember to occasionally arch her back, grind her hips and moan "oh yes luv, right there, don't stop" as convincingly as possible.
Eben had confessed on one occasion that only she was able to make him cum despite attempts with other whores. She rolled her eyes at how lucky she was. What seemed an eternity later, though in reality was just a few minutes, he climaxed inside her.
He rolled over to lay beside her next to the wall, growing drowsy but sure that he would be up for a second round before long, Eben basked in the afterglow, sweaty and smelling naturally masculine as his cologne had long since worn off. Nora couldn't figure out why people preferred to have sex entirely naked. Not that she had any personal reservations against it, as she did enjoy it when it was practical, but in her profession, it was highly impractical and very inconvenient. Lifting her skirts was all she ever needed to do and she wouldn't trade that for the inconveniences of the other options.
Struggling to stay awake, "Miss Nora, I have...recently come to possess a piece of property - a small townhouse. It's not much though."
"That's great." She wasn't sure what brought up that particular topic.
Continuing, hoping she would understand, Eben elaborated, "I collected on a debt owed, and that was what I got in payment. It is so lovely with two bedrooms, a small study, a kitchen and dining room, a living room, and a spacious parlor where you can entertain anyone you wish. It also has a bit of indoor plumbing." He paused, then came out with it, "I felt that it would be a good place for you. It would make a splendid home, it isn't extravagant, but it is quite cozy."
She didn't want to live there. She hated her life in the slums, but she left the aristocratic neighborhoods years ago and had no desire whatsoever to return. "I'm very sorry but I like it here."
With a heavy sigh, "Perhaps I should return home then. Pay for the room through the rest of the night." He pulled out more than enough from his waistcoat and let it fall to the table, clearly disappointed.
Since Nora was a decent person, she didn't feel the desire to reiterate the fact that he should leave since she had other customers waiting and Henry would not be forgiving if she ignored them or turned them down. She accepted the wages with a forced smile as she got up to retrieve her clothes and get dressed. Dividing her pay, she set some aside for her rent and the rest went into the hidden pockets to later go into her savings tin. Waiting until Eben himself was dressed and had left, she made her way downstairs to face the rest of the evening.
------------------------
In the days and weeks that passed after the visit to the pub with Henry and Basil, Dorian found himself wishing he could see Miss Nora again. He wasn't sure why the occasion would come up or even when he would get to see her, if at all. The desire to see her followed a hierarchy that went from a simple wish that may not ever happen to wanting it. He'd never recalled anything else he wanted such as that.
The longer Dorian stayed away, the stronger the urge became until it was something he needed, like the air to breathe or water to drink. The need was so strong at that point that he began to see Miss Nora everywhere she didn't exist. The feel of her lips and tongue on him was as vivid still as when it happened. He had never seen eyes so intensely blue with as much as life as hers had as they danced when she laughed. Anything he saw that was a similar color took him immediately back to the pub that night...to her. He was convinced she wasn't just a dream or a distant memory haunting him that was likely only his imagination. Everything and everyone reminded him of her in some way and he couldn't get away from it. It was making him crazy as time wore on.
In the time since Dorian had met Nora and sold his soul to the Devil that same night in order to retain his youth, he had had the pleasure of experiencing a handful of women that Henry had introduced him to. Dorian wasn't satisfied with any of them because they weren't Nora. They didn't have her blue eyes or her brown hair. There was only one Nora and he vowed he would do whatever it took to find her. He wasn't sure how but he'd find a way.
He tried to distract himself by getting settled in to his newly inherited estate and its own lifestyle to no avail. Finally deciding to give into the intense urges, Dorian became determined to find his way to Bluegate Fields where she was, though he likely wouldn't be able to recognize the specific location on his own, as long ago as that was.
Eventually, he decided to make inquiries of one of his servants, in hopes they could tell him. Of course, he wouldn't dare ask a female servant as that was much too impolite, given its nature. Pretending that he was supposed to meet Henry there, decked out in his latest finery he had purchased as he stepped into his hansom cab, "Bluegate Fields. The pub owned by Lord Henry Wotton."
The cab driver simply looked at him in disbelief. "Sir? That is not a safe area of the city."
"That's not what I asked. I ordered you to take me there. Are you not able to follow a simple order?"
"Yes sir." With that, the cab headed off in the direction of the slums.
Departing the cab once it was stopped, none of the businesses or even the streets looked familiar. Maybe he should have asked Henry directly. Taking a side street to see what he might find, Dorian breathed a sigh of relief as he found the tavern. Apparently they had come in from a different area than his driver was willing to take him.
His hand on the doorknob, Dorian took a deep breath for courage before he pushed the door open. He wasn't sure yet what he would say to Nora but he had to see her anyway. It was certainly quieter than he remembered last but still bustling with afternoon activity. However he wasn't feeling claustrophobic or otherwise scared as the other time.
Scanning the room, Dorian saw her at the bar with another girl of similar age, smoking her pipe and sipping at a tankard of what he assumed to be ale. Stepping forward into the bar, he was greeted by her looking up with a mixture of coquetteishness and confusion, as he guessed she likely didn't remember him with as many men as she serviced daily.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
"Miss Nora? I sincerely apologize for the fact we were not formally introduced last time we met. Mr Dorian Gray," giving her a half bow.
Smiling up at him, "A pleasure to meet you, Mr Gray. But time is money and I cost."
"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry!" Ears burning red, Dorian pulled his purse from the breastpocket of his suit jacket. Having no clue how much her services cost, he handed her several of the large bills.
Her eyes wide, Nora quickly clasped her hand over his. He had just handed over more money to her than she would ever make in a month's time. Even with being one of the most frequented whores due to her ability to get anyone off in a matter of mere minutes, unlike most women. "Friend of Lord Henry's or not, you don't wave that much money around if you know what's good for you. It's too much temptation for anyone in these parts."
Something that just now hit him was that she didn't have the lower class Irish accent that she did last time. He wasn't sure why she had used it and spoke normally around him now, but guessed there was some sort of tension between she and Lord Wotton, and decided not to pursue the topic as it wasn't his business.
Tempting as it was, Nora decided not to accept the large bills Dorian offered her. She didn't want to be a target and anyone who had seen her accept it would make the assumption that she was.
Glancing around, he leaned toward her and asked pitching his voice lower, "So how much am I supposed to pay you?"
Biting her lower lip and glancing up to her side at him, Nora was intoxicated by his scent - spicy and all male. Lowering her voice to match his, "Mmm...Lord Henry charges 25 pounds, since I have 'special talents'." Seeing that he was still fairly shy, "If you'd like, we can go upstairs where it's more private."
Smiling as he nodded, his eyes twinkled with inquisition, "What are your special talents?"
Nora slowly slid her tongue seductively across her lips. "You want me to show you?" Taking his hand in hers, she led him up the stairs, which were getting more rickety and dangerous by the week it seemed.
Ushering Dorian into a small partition, she drew the curtain closed. He thought he would have lost all confidence by finally being alone with her but shocked himself that he wasn't, though still a bit unsure, which he hoped to be remedied of soon.
"I've missed you so much that I thought I would I go stir-crazy if I couldn't see you again." Ah, the cliche they all fed her. Of course they said they missed her, because she did for them what their wives refused to. "But I didn't think it was proper to be seen in a place like this. No offense to you, of course."
"Of course," smiling. She was amazed that he genuinely seemed sweet without any sugarcoating to disguise his true-nature underneath, not that she knew what that was but Nora was generally a good judge of character upon first glance. His forthrightness and the earnest look on his face made her decide to take him at face value. "What did you miss about me?"
"Um..." Nora had an uncanny ability to make him lose all coherency of speech. Her intense blue eyes danced, hypnotizing him. Her dark brown cascading curls looked like silk and he wished to run his fingers through them. Decadently plump lips, creamy white skin splashed with the faintest freckles, Dorian was convinced that she was Aphrodite herself.
Nora raised a brow expectantly, waiting for him to answer seeing that he was tongue tied for the moment. Sliding her hands inside his coat, she pushed the cumbersome garment off his body, letting it fall to the floor. Taking her time to unbutton his silver taffeta waistcoat and letting it drop onto the pile at his feet, she unfastened his trousers and pushed them down his thighs, never taking her eyes off his. Pools of near black, even in the daytime, she had never seen before. His nose appeared to have been broken at some point in his life but it didn't look bad on him, like with some of the other men. While most men left their shirts on, she wanted to see all of him. It was gratifying that he kept getting pinker and pinker, the further she went along with him, especially since he still hadn't found any words yet to answer her question.
Turning her back to him and pulling her hair to the side to drape forward over her shoulder, she turned her head toward him, "If you'd like, you could help me out of all this confining clothing."
Moving close to her, aching to touch her skin, Dorian surprised them both when, instead of going for the laces of her corset, his fingers gently grazed the back of her neck and shoulders. His lips left a trail of hot kisses wherever his hands touched her. It felt so nice to her.
Mumbling in a low husky tone because it sounded better in his head than aloud, "I've missed all of you. Your voice, your eyes, your smile. There's just no one else like you." How he said it made Nora wonder if he had looked, and she suspected he had.
Nora closed her eyes, and breathed a happy sigh, wanting to savor it all. Soon, she felt her corset untied as it fell to the floor, along with her skirts. His lips never left her neck and shoulders except when he lifted her chemise over her head. Kissing the side of her neck, letting the tip of his tongue ever so slightly graze her skin, Nora moaned in delight, not wanting him to stop, though niceties such as this were not something she was used to. Even Dorian wasn't used to it, despite the nights out with other whores he had visited.
Dorian's hands, which had been resting on her shoulders, slid down her sides. She turned around in his arms, pressing her body to his as she wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his silky hair. Leaning up on tiptoes, though she didn't need to, she wanted to discover what he tasted like. Dorian copied the move, her lips calling to him. At first, their kisses were gentle, exploratory, unhurried and languid. Nora was surprised by the softness of his mouth, and by the way the tips of his fingers felt as they stroked over the nape of her neck and down a shoulder, the motion repetitive but thrilling.
Dragging her nails over his skin, Nora broke from his lips, moving to kiss his shoulders. Dorian groaned, tipping his head back, his grip tightening on her waist, pulling her closer. Losing her footing, Nora stumbled in place, and clutched at Dorian for balance before they became a mass of flailing limbs as they hit the bed gracelessly.
"Oof!" Dorian's head hit the wall with a loud thud and Nora's forehead banged against his as they landed on the bed. As he reached to rub the back of his head, expecting a lump, she was unable to suppress her giggles at how they must look.
"Are you ok?" leaning forward, her breasts brushing against his shoulder as she attempted to inspect his injury. "This wasn't one of my special talents, I swear," gesturing to their tangled state.
A playful smirk on his lips in reply, "What? Oh, the falling? That's one of my special talents. I'm quite clumsy as you can see."
Giggling at him as they repositioned themselves on the bed to avoid anything similar happening, her words were cut off as his hand snaked into her hair, pulling her down to him, as the other lay on the small of her back. Their languid kisses turned hungry and wanton as they rolled around on the small mattress, wanting to stay like this as long as they could.
His hands slid down to her bottom, massaging those muscles, as Nora instinctively spread her legs to rest on either side of his hips, before sliding his fingertips up her sides teasingly. Breaking away to catch their breath, Dorian let out a moan and arched his back as her tongue found a rather sensitive spot. Hands planted on the bed on either side of his head to support her weight, Nora back arched as his found her breasts to knead gently in his palms. Dorian's head tilted backward on the pillow, his lips releasing a slow barely audible hiss, as she leaned down once again to suck at his neck and shoulders, alternating between tender kisses and grazing her teeth against his skin.
Sliding down Dorian's body, her gaze never left him. His prick hard between her full breasts, she held it in her hand and slid further away to lick at the head, wanting to see him watching her. His eyes hooded in an attempt to close to revel in the pleasure he was feeling at that moment, he kept them forced open. Swirling her tongue and sucking at the sensitive head, alternating with kisses, Dorian's fingers once again tangled in her silky locks. Nora's scandalously plump lips wrapped around his cock were the perfect addition to the scene before him. Moving her hand to the base of his prick, the length of her tongue slid along the sensitive vein underneath. Sucking in a breath, Dorian was entranced by her staring at him, while her nails scratched his inner thigh.
Dorian's breathing was starting to become shallower as Nora stroked his cock in her hand, moving it so she had access to his balls. Sucking at them and swirling her tongue, she spread his legs wider. Her own eyes closing, Nora's tongue traveled lower to the soft perineum below, pressing it firmly and rolling in a circular motion.
"Ahh!" he inhaled loudly as his fingers clawed at the lumpy mattress. "So good. Don't stop."
She found the tight sphincter below, the flat of her tongue pressed against it and flicking back and forth. The sensation made him arch his hips off the bed as Dorian's eyes rolled back in his head. Nora continued to lap at the sensitive entrance, watching him squirm in ecstasy. Before long, he wasn't able to take much more. Dorian took hold of her arm and pulled him up toward him. Nora spread her legs, straddling his waist and leaning down to kiss him passionately. Sliding down onto his thick cock, Nora couldn't recall anyone else filling her as full as he did. For a moment in time, no one else existed in her world except him.
"That, Mr. Gray" his eyes opened to focus on her, "is one of my special talents."
Grinding her hips and stroking his length, Nora once again leaned down to kiss him and tangled her fingers in his hair. Dorian held her breasts in his hands, kneading and gently twisting the rings in her nipples. Neither of them wanted this to end at all. But even so, in a swift motion, Nora found herself pinned underneath Dorian, his hands now holding her wrists on either side of her as he thrust into her, taking charge. Her head tilted back on the pillow and legs wrapped around Dorian's waist, Nora squirmed beneath him, hissing between clenched teeth as he seemed to know how and where to hit all the right places.
An expert at faking orgasms for the sake of her customers, a real climax was something she never experienced while working unless it was by her own hand. As wave after wave hit her, Nora arched her back and this time there was nothing artificial or staged about the pleasure she was receiving from him. She clawed at his back, arching hers and letting out an almost-feline noise. Dorian's own climax splashed inside her and he froze when he heard the feline yowl escape her lips, while she lay pinned underneath him. There was something inexplicably familiar about that, coupled with the fact that his back stung from the scratches she gifted him with.
His weight gave out as he laid on top of her, kissing her lips, her chin, her shoulders. Dorian was beginning to wonder what he saw in the other whores since they didn't have anything that Miss Nora did. Hence the reason he came back to see her instead of them.
"Mmm...thank you, Mr. Gray. That was wonderful," her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes flickered open to peer into his. Something in her tone convinced him that she really meant it and that it wasn't just smoke and mirrors to make a customer happy.
Neither of them wanted to get up but it was inevitable that they had to at some point. Nora would have customers later on, if they weren't already waiting, and Dorian couldn't spend the whole time in the slums with her. As he left, he insisted on paying her with at least one of the large bank notes and would not take no for an answer, despite her protests, and hid it in the the pockets of her skirts. Henry wouldn't see that money if she could help it. Nora wasn't greedy by any means but she'd rather take on twice as many customers for the night if she had to than to hand over that amount to him.
It was her intention when she walked in to the common room, several paces behind Dorian as he left, to ask the barkeep for her daily cup of tansy tea for contraceptive purposes. But as he walked out the door, Nora noticed a huge crowd following him. She couldn't figure why when aristocratic men frequented the pub all the time. Against her better judgment, she went along to see what was happening outside.
Scuffles in the streets were not unusual at any hour of the day or night but they typically didn't draw this large of a crowd. Fighting her way through to the center of the mob, Nora realized she was too late. After the first thug had thrown a punch at him, while she was still inside, Dorian had pulled his cane apart, unsheathing the sword inside, which he sliced through the air, daring anyone to make a move toward him. However that did little if anything to keep him from being attacked from behind, his overcoat tattered.
When Nora finally did break through the crowd, interrupting the gang, she was snatched from behind, bulky arms tight around her waist. Squirming and clawing to attempt free herself, she let out a loud feline hiss, causing Dorian to spin around, sword pointed straight at her. He didn't have a clue what was going on but his mind was definitely playing tricks on him. However, seeing her in that position sparked a rage in him he'd never felt before. Dorian took the sword in his other hand and quickly reached into his coat, pulling out his wallet and tossing it on the cobblestone road, the bills falling out freely, serving as distraction. The bulk of the money was swiftly pocketed by a tall lanky young man who took off running in the distance. As the gang of thugs took off, their mission accomplished, the crowd started to dwindle. Nora was dropped to the ground mercilessly and regained her footing, hurrying over to Dorian to make sure he was unharmed from the incident.
She bent down to pick up the wooden sheath he had tossed aside and guided him into the pub. Stopping to whisper to a young street urchin, who quickly ran out, Nora led Dorian to a small room in the rear of the building, that really was no bigger than the rooms upstairs. It wasn't much but it was like many of the others that belonged to Wotton's whores. There was a small bed with a pile of threadbare quilts, a chair that had one leg shorter than the rest and was propped up with a brick in a feeble attempt to even it out. On a small table in another corner there was only room for a washbasin and a broken mirror leaning against the wall. There was no reflection in it anymore, nor was there when she scavenged it, but it was hers and that was what mattered. She didn't miss his discomfort as they walked in, though she had been hesitant at first to even show it to him. No one, not even Eben, had seen this room. Nora didn't feel it was wise to leave him to fend for himself in the common room and the rooms upstairs cost, so hers was the next best thing. Moving to stand behind him to pull his coat off, she then tugged the blankets back on the tiny bed and forced him to lay down.
"Nora, please, you don't have to do this. I am not injured," as she rearranged the thin blankets over him.
"Nonsense. Lay down and relax. I'll get something you can take to ease the discomfort and I've already sent a boy to get some discrete help and they should be here soon."
While she had stepped out, Dorian looked around the small room which really wasn't much more than a hovel. He realized he appeared quite out of place, not even slumming there, in what was most likely Nora's own room. Dorian didn't sneer but he did feel embarrassed about the world she lived in with its poverty, filth, and rude manners.
Closing the door behind her, Nora had bottle of laudanum that she began to pour into a glass. No sooner had she held out the glass to Dorian and he sat up in the bed, reaching over to take it from her, than the door swung open violently, slamming into the wall, startling them both. Lord Henry stood in the doorway, his hand clenching the knob tightly. There was no escaping the vehemence that shone in Henry's gaze. He was already seething because Nora had sent a messenger to fetch him. But the fact that Dorian was there, in her bed no less, drove him to madness. That feline hiss again was really getting to Dorian, as Nora's shoulders hunched forward and her back arched in angry reaction to Henry's presence. Once was deja vu, twice was a coincidence, but three times was something beyond all explanation.
"Lenora, I don't pretend to understand what goes on inside that dimwitted skull of yours but if you know what's good for you, you won't attempt anything like this again, if you want to keep a roof over your head." Turning to Dorian behind her as he tossed the overcoat at the boy which was picked up from the chair where it lay, "Get up! Only a bloody idiot would make an arse out of himself and try to get a free sympathy fuck in return!" as his glare flickered in Nora's direction.
She lunged at him, wanting to claw his eyes out, if not his tongue. That was his most vile instrument. But he was quicker and had her arms pinned as she struggled to get free. There was something strangely alluring at the fire she possessed. Whispering in her ear, "I'll deal with you later," which only made her fight more. He was looking forward to her punishment but the wait would make it that much sweeter. In a normal, agitated voice, "Hurry up, boy!" He waited until he saw Dorian push the blankets aside and get up, scurrying to get into his overcoat, before finally letting Nora go and walking out the door, tugging at his jacket as he did.
