Falling From Grace: Student-Teacher Forbidden Romance

Chapter 20

[RECAP: Leonie and Father Gabriel are managing to maintain a professional relationship, but it's a struggle, given their growing attraction to one another]

Sister Joan ran the school's poetry appreciation club, which met on Sunday afternoons. It was one of a number of activities designed to occupy the students on weekends as there wasn't much else to do.

Harry was busy with lacrosse and Mai, who played the bassoon, had chamber group.

With nothing else to do, Leonie and Figgy had been browbeaten into attending by Sister Joan. "It will be useful complementary background for your A-level syllabus," she had told her sixth form class.

It was one of those things that wasn't technically compulsory but was still pretty impossible to get out of. Leonie and Figgy had turned up reluctantly the first week, wishing they could have just hung out in their dorm and read books.

It hadn't been as bad as Leonie had feared. Sister Joan had chosen some of the British war poets, and Leonie had found the verses beautiful and moving.

This week though there was a change. Sister Joan had to pay a visit to someone that weekend, and asked Father Gabriel if he could fill in for her.

Since he was free at that time, he was unable to refuse. "Certainly. What poets are they studying?"

"I've been doing some of the war poets with them, but you should choose whatever you like. It's good for them to be exposed to a wider range of literature," Sister Joan told him.

Since he was working on his Gerard Manly Hopkins thesis, Gabriel decided to double up and introduce the students to his favourite poet. Hopkins hadn't been on the syllabus for years, if ever. He doubted if many of them would have even heard of him.

It was a warm and sunny late September day, with the leaves already beginning to turn red and gold on the trees around St Winifred's grounds. It was too beautiful a day to remain indoors, and there wouldn't be many left like this as winter approached.

Gabriel decided to hold the poetry club outside. There was a murmur of excitement when he announced this, for Sister Joan always confined them to a classroom. He noticed Leonie and Figgy looking interested at the news.

For the past week he had managed to keep Leonie at arm's length. He hadn't acted coldly towards her but they had both chosen to keep their distance. As hard as Gabriel had found it. Watching her and hearing her in class and rehearsals remained a form of torture for him. He would have to grit his teeth and bear her proximity at poetry club too.

He led the group outside to sit on the grass by a grove of trees. The students sat in a rough semi-circle before him, and he began his introduction.

"Today I thought I would introduce you to a poet who isn't as well known as some you may have studied. But he's a favourite of mine, and I'm currently working on a thesis about him." He had their attention. None of them had known he was working on an academic project. "Gerard Manly Hopkins was born in 1844 and was a convert to Catholicism. He studied Classics at Oxford, and it was during this time that he was received into the Catholic church. Shortly after graduating he decided to become a Jesuit priest, which as you may know is a particularly austere and restrictive life."

Gabriel paused, looking at the faces before him. Most were still politely attentive, including Leonie's. "That may make him sound rather a dry stick. But the poetry he wrote was anything but. It features vivid, passionate language and imagery relating to the natural world, and has been compared to other poets such as Keats."

Gabriel leant back and pointed up at the trees behind them. "Anyone know what those trees are?"

"Larch," someone suggested.