Falling From Grace: Student-Teacher Forbidden Romance

Chapter 43

[RECAP: Several students, including Leonie, are desperate to win the scholarship to a prestigious drama school...]

Leonie was desperate to make Father Gabriel break his resolve. She was past caring whether it was some mortal sin.

She loved him and she wanted to be with him.

Frustratingly there was never any time she got to be alone with him, or any opportunity to flirt with him. She couldn't dress up in something sexy as she was forced to wear her school uniform every day. Two weeks passed and she felt like she was going out of her mind. She had even thought about climbing out of the window one night and breaking into the presbytery.

Except she had no idea which room was his. Surprising Father Stephen in his bed socks was far too much of a risk.

The only real opportunity to communicate with Gabriel came during rehearsals. Leonie knew that during Abigail's scenes with John Proctor, Gabriel would be thinking of the time they had acted it out. So she went all out, acting as wanton and seductive as possible whenever she had the opportunity.

Fortunately most people just assumed Leonie was throwing herself into the role. Everyone knew she was one of the students planning to apply for the RADA scholarship.

But Leonie saw the look in Gabriel's eye as she said her lines to Mercy, and knew the effect she was having on him.

"That was very well done," he told Leonie and Mercy afterwards, keeping his voice steady. "If you can both sustain that level of intensity on opening night, it's going to be a great performance."

The sewing club girls were busy taking measurements that night, which led to a lot of giggling and sucking in of waists. "If anyone publishes my vital statistics I'll poison their cocoa," Mai threatened.

Leonie was sure she had lost weight due to the awful school food and the endless sports they had to do. She caught Gabriel quickly averting his eyes when a frizzy haired girl ran the measuring tape around her chest. It was over her school jumper so it was hardly revealing, but Leonie was glad that Gabriel was obviously struggling not to look.

She and Mercy were the last two to be measured as their scene in the first Act had been the final section rehearsed that night. Leonie deliberately lingered, letting Mercy and the sewing girls leave before her. She wanted to give Gabriel a chance to call her back.

He said nothing as she picked up her bag and turned to leave, and she felt her heart sinking and her feet turn to lead. Just as she reached the door, he said her name. "Leonie."

The sound of his voice sent a jolt through her. She turned back to him.

"Come here."

Leonie went up to him.

Gabriel reached out his hands to her and she took them. "I want you," he told her.

She wasn't exactly sure what he meant. "How?"

"With me." His gaze was deadly serious. "It's driving me crazy seeing you and not getting to be alone with you. There's so much I want to say." He pulled her closer to him. "And do."

"Did you make a decision?" Leonie asked.

"Partly. I want to spend more time with you. Could you stay with me for a week in the holidays? Delay your flight home?"

Leonie could hardly believe what he was saying. "Really? Where?"

"An aunt of mine has a holiday cottage in the Cotswolds. She only uses it in the summer. I've got a key to stay there any time," Gabriel told her.

Leonie wasn't exactly sure where the Cotswolds were, or what they were, but had some idea they were near Figgy's part of the country.

An entire week with him. Even as the prospect thrilled her it was also terrifying. What if he regretted it? Or got bored with her? What if they actually did the deed and she wasn't any good at it?

Gabriel saw the doubt in her eyes. "It's okay if you don't want to. We'll work something else out."

"No, I absolutely do want to. I just didn't want you to regret it," she said.

"I'll regret it if I don't do it."

Leonie swallowed. She felt as though they were at a tipping point. On the brink of it all, finally. "You might change your mind by the end of term."

"I won't."

He kissed her then, which she had longed for. Neither of them dared to let it deepen too far in case they lost control.

Then Leonie left. Already the plans for how to do this were ticking through her mind. Hopefully changing the flight wouldn't be too much of an issue. She would have to write to her grandmother and parents as soon as possible. She guessed she could say that one of her dorm mates had made the invitation. Her grandmother would definitely approve of her spending a week with Figgy or Harry, given their prestigious families. And if her grandmother condoned it, then her parents shouldn't object.

It might also be an idea to ask Harry to cover for her. After all, she had offered to do so before. She didn't seem shocked by the Gabriel-being-a-priest thing either.

Leonie had no idea how she was going to get through the rest of the term.

A whole week with Gabriel. She just had to make sure by the end of it that would choose her rather than the church. Surely he must be thinking along those lines, just to have made the suggestion?

Leonie walked up the stairs to the dormitory, needing to fetch a book on Goya that she needed for an assignment. The others had gone straight off to the hall for evening prep, which was what they called homework here. It was short for preparation.

She pushed the door open and stopped in shock.

Standing there by Leonie's bed, a triumphant smirk on her face, was Suki Laverne.

In her hand she held the letter that Gabriel had written to Leonie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Uh-oh...