Falling From Grace: Student-Teacher Forbidden Romance

Chapter 30

[RECAP: Leonie and Father Gabriel shared a stolen kiss, and both are blaming themselves for it]

The following weekend there was a school excursion to an ancient holy well. It was up in the hills behind St Winifred's, beside a ruined cottage.

Leonie was looking forward to going as it would be a break in routine. It would also be a relief to get out of the confines of the school and clear her head. At least she wouldn't have to worry about bumping into Father Gabriel around every corner, and suffering what she imagined to be his cold disdain.

The others weren't so excited about the trip.

"We go at least once a year," Mai said. "It's this endless trek to a load of rubble, and Mother Benedict or whatever nun is with us says a prayer. Then we eat sandwiches and walk back home."

It sounded just the kind of thing that Leonie had read about in English adventure stories. There would always be something like robbers hoarding stolen gold up a chimney. Or a wounded German spy lurking about the place, with a bunch of plucky picnickers solving the mystery and saving the day.

She mentioned this to the others, who laughed at her. "It's just fields for miles. The cottage is half fallen down. We're not even allowed to go inside it any more as it's unsafe," Figgy said.

Harry wasn't coming because she had a lacrosse match. "Though I don't know if we'll get to play as I'm sure it's going to rain. Heavily too," she said. "You'll all get soaked if it starts when you're at the well.

The weather forecast was dry with light drizzle at most. Sister Barbara, who was leading the outing, insisted they would be fine. "We'll wear raincoats just in case, and be back well before dark," she told them.

Leonie packed her sandwiches and a water bottle into a small bag, as well as her camera. "Can't you drink from the well?" she asked.

"Years ago they used to. But then some farmer told them there were sheep droppings in it, or was it sheep carcasses? Anyway we don't any more," Figgy said.

They set off shortly after lunch time. The well was only a couple of miles away and it took no longer than an hour to hike there. The grass was thick and it was more tiring trudging through it than over a regular road surface. Sister Barbara appeared to have the sprightliness of a mountain goat and was constantly calling for any stragglers to keep up. "In my schooldays I walked twice this distance to school and back, morning and afternoon. It's good exercise for you."

As they climbed the view became quite spectacular. Rolling green hills, the valley, pockets of woodland. It reminded Leonie of the countryside around Massachusetts yet it was different. She couldn't put her finger on why. It smelt different, that was certain.

They paused for a break half way up and looked back.

"The sky is a bit glowering," Mai said. "I wish Harry hadn't said what she said. She's always right about the weather. It's uncanny."

The three of them looked up at the sky. It was still clear but there was a grey on the distant horizon.

"The air feels heavy. But I don't know if that's just me, struggling up this slope," Leonie said.

They continued on their way. By the time they reached the site there was already a slight drizzle in the air and definitely more wind.

Sister Barbara was determined to be resilient. "We've come all this way, girls, I'm sure light rain won't be a problem. We all have our raincoats."

She led the prayers and then they sat around in the drizzle and ate their sandwiches. It wasn't a very joyful picnic.

Following this everyone went to take a look at the well. It wasn't much to see. Some mossy stone slabs surrounding a hole coming out of the hillside. "Where are the dead sheep?" Leonie asked. The water looked clear enough.

"It might have been one of those microbes you can get in water. I know they've always told us not to drink it," Mai said.

"We could boil it and make tea. If we had a fire," Leonie suggested. She way dying for a hot drink. The sky had darkened to a leaden grey and it was uncomfortably cold and windy.

The ruined cottage nearby was even less impressive. Ivy grew through the broken rafters of the roof, and one wall was tumbled down. It was more like a cave than a cottage.

"Don't go inside, girls, it's not safe," Sister Benedict told them.

Leonie took some photos of it, as well as Mai and Figgy and herself. They were all looking bedraggled from the damp.

"Sister, it's starting to get really wet," someone said

The nun cast a glance at the sky. "It does appear to be falling a little heavier. We'd better start back immediately."

They packed up the remains of the the chilly picnic and set off back to the school. Leonie was glad to be on the move again, if only because the exercise kept her warmer than sitting about.

They had nearly reached St Winifred's when Leonie suddenly realised she hadn't got her camera with her. She asked Mai and Figgy if they had it or had seen it, but they hadn't. Then Leonie remembered: she had put it on a stone slab while shoving her water bottle back in her bag. How could she have been so careless? It was an expensive one too, a birthday present from her aunt and uncle. It would be wrecked if it was left out there all night, even if no one stole it.

"I'll have to go back for it," she said.

"You can't possibly. The weather's absolutely foul," Figgy said.

"It's just rain and I'm already wet. If I get it now I've got a chance to dry it out. It might still be okay."

Mai offered to go back with her but Leonie refused. "There's no point you getting into trouble. I'll be fine. I'll go really fast. There's over an hour or of daylight left, and I'll see the lights of the school even if it's growing dark by the time I'm back."

Her friends were very reluctant to let her venture back by herself but Leonie was adamant. She slipped off and ran back up the hillside before Sister Barbara could see and call her back.

Leonie had gone about half way when the sky cracked with thunder and torrential rain began to plummet down. She realised her mistake. She had merely been wet-haired before but now, despite her raincoat, she was getting soaked to the skin. Should she turn back? She figured she was past half way, she may as well get her camera.

Over the next twenty minutes the winds whipped up even worse and Leonie was caught in a full blown storm. She could barely see, the gale and the rains were lashing her face and blinding her. What the hell had she done?

She reached the site and was relieved to see her camera, though it was dripping wet. She picked it up and turned to go.

But the storm was in full force. She realised there was no way she was going to make it to St Winifred's until it abated. Since the only place offering shelter was the ruined cottage, she risked going inside.

Leonie was shivering and miserable and knew that she would be in huge trouble. If she didn't die of hypothermia first. She sat down on a stone slab at the back of the cottage and waited for the skies to calm.

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Oh no! Who might possibly come to her rescue?