Falling From Grace: Student-Teacher Forbidden Romance

Chapter 64

[RECAP: Leonie is back at school, where being so near and yet so far from Father Gabriel is torture, not to mention the evil blackmail of Suki Laverne...]

It happened later that evening, when the four of them were in the dorm catching up on holiday news. The other three were avid to know what was happening with Leonie's love life. They all knew about the screen test, but no one asked very much about it because Leonie was currently in limbo. She hadn't heard anything back, good or bad. Figgy had kindly suggested that it might be "slow over Christmas" but Leonie was increasingly fearing that no news meant bad news.

Leonie tried to tell herself that it was still a great compliment to have even been asked to audition. But after the high she had been on, and all the excitement, it all felt like a lead balloon.

Instead, she focused her thoughts on Gabriel. Surviving the rest of the year having to suppress their relationship and deal with Suki's blackmail wasn't going to be an easy ride. But it would be worth it. It had to be.

"So how was it back home for Christmas?" Mai asked. "Did you get snow? Did you get any cool presents? Did Somebody send you anything?"

Leonie brought the precious box out to show off the pendant. "He sent me this. It was a total surprise. It's to match my citrine earrings, I just wish I could wear it every day." She brought out the earrings as well to show the others.

"It's really beautiful," Figgy said. "It is quite a good match, isn't it? The citrines are a shade lighter, but only when you put them side by side."

"Citrines vary in colour a lot," Leonie said. "I guess that's why the pendant is darker."

Figgy was holding the pendant. "Of course. But this isn't a citrine, is it?"

Leonie frowned. "I think so. I mean it could be glass, not that I would really care if it was as it's so pretty. But citrine's not super expensive, and it seems like a really fine necklace."

Figgy now looked embarrassed, and exchanged a glance with Harry. "I'm not sure that Garrard does citrines."

Picking up the box and reading the logo again, Leonie was surprised. "I don't see why not. Even the box looks pretty high quality."

"Yes, but that's what I mean." Figgy was getting flustered, and Harry interrupted.

"Garrard is a very exclusive jewellery brand. It's almost certainly a diamond."

A diamond? "It can't be. That would cost a fortune, surely?"

"I don't know about a fortune, but Garrard wouldn't do plate or paste," Figgy said. "My father bought my mother some earrings from there for her fortieth birthday, and they had to be insured."

The citrine and silver pendant that Leonie had loved now felt like an alien bauble. Something way out of her league that she surely didn't deserve. "What am I going to do? I mean if it is what you say. I had no idea it could be super valuable."

"Either wear it under your clothes, all the time," Harry said. "Or give it to Mother Benedict to put in the school safe. Just lie and say your grandmother gave it to you and you brought it with you by accident. That's probably the safest option, as someone is bound to see it otherwise. And if it got broken or lost or stolen, it would be a huge shame."

It would be devastating. Leonie put the pendant carefully back in its box. She was going to have to talk to Gabriel about it. How on earth could he have afforded it on a priest's salary? It must have been his entire savings.

Getting a private talk with him was much harder. They no longer had rehearsals, so she couldn't arrive early or stay late. Staying after English class seemed like too much risk. If Suki had become suspicious enough to snoop, others might do so as well.

What to do? In the end she decided it would have to be the vestry. The chances of someone dropping by there were much lower than anywhere else. Then by chance, Mother Benedict passed Leonie and Mai in the courtyard one day, and sent them on an errand to fetch some prayer books.

Mai saw the advantage even before Leonie could ask her. "How about I hang out in the chapel while you catch five minutes with Father Gorgeous? You must be dying to speak with him. If Father Stephen stops by, I'll distract him. Asking him something about Thomas Aquinas always sets him off for hours."

Leonie was hugely grateful. "Would you? I'd owe you big time if you could do that."

"It's no problem. But if I do get stuck with a forty minute theology lecture, I get to copy your Shakespeare notes."

It was a deal. The two of them made their way to the chapel, knowing that Father Gabriel worked in the vestry at this time, and Mai hung around the prayerbook shelves while Leonie slipped into the vestry.

Gabriel's face lit up but he also looked concerned when he saw her. "Is everything okay?"

"I know we agreed to keep our distance, but I had to speak with you." This was really awkward. "It's about the pendant you gave me. I really loved it, I mean I still love it, but I didn't realise it was maybe very expensive. Like a diamond or something."

"It is a diamond. A 'golden diamond', they call them. I got that colour because of your earrings. Would you prefer a white one?"

Leonie was horrified. "God no. It's perfect. But I can't accept something so valuable..." she trailed off. She didn't want to insult him by suggesting he was too poor because of being on a priest's salary.

But Gabriel had laughter in his eyes. "It wasn't the Crown Jewels, Leonie. And if you're worried about my financial status..." He became serious again. "I didn't really want to bring this up, because it has always been more of a burden than anything. But there's a family trust. Not just mine, my sister and brother are also beneficiaries. It's why money doesn't mean a great deal to me, or to any of us."

Leonie knew that both Gabriel's siblings worked for charitable organisations. His sister worked for an educational NGO and Gabriel had described his brother as a "suit-wearing eco-warrior". She didn't know much about trusts, except that they were things rich people had. She had thought that most people with trusts would spend their lives on yachts drinking champagne, but maybe some took a completely opposite route.

"I didn't realise." She was at a bit of a loss for words.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just happy you liked it. And I really didn't plan on having this conversation now, but if you do want to study and your family aren't on board, I can give you the money." Gabriel saw Leonie about to object but forestalled her. "It can just be a loan if you want. The point is that there's money available. If being with me causes you such problems with your family that they withdraw your college money, it's the least I can do."

It was way too much to take in. "I don't know what to say. It's really generous of you, but I have to do this my own way." Leonie would manage it somehow. She absolutely could not take money from Gabriel. If RADA was not possible and Juilliard was out, she would get a job waitressing and go to night school. She had fought her parents for so long about being an actress that it had become her battle, and her battle alone.

"Whatever you want. It's a decision for the future anyway, not now." Gabriel looked her in the eyes, his gaze intense. "Just remember that I love you. Whatever happens, I'm here for you."

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This is a man who knows what he wants...