Falling From Grace: Student-Teacher Forbidden Romance

Chapter 71

[RECAP: Leonie left St Winifred's to pursue a movie career, and Father Gabriel decided to leave the priesthood...]

One year later

"This may be the end of an era," Gabriel said. He was fastening the tiny hooks on the back of Leonie's dress, a 1930s style floor-length sheath of amber-gold satin.

Leonie looked in the mirror. The studio had sent a hair and make up artist around earlier, and every part of her now looked immaculate. Even her fingernails.

It was her first premiere, the limo would be there soon, and her stomach was dizzy with nerves. "Why the end?" she asked.

"After tonight, if the movie is a hit, people will know your name. It will change things."

Gabriel was beyond gorgeous in a beautifully cut jacket that showed off his broad shoulders and athletic build. Black tie suited him perfectly. He looked like a model.

The whole premiere thing was kind of weird, Leonie thought. It felt like returning to something she had already finished. She had already shot another movie the summer after the first film, and was about to start shooting a third. No one knew who she was except for people in the film world, but word was getting around. Leonie had signed with a wonderful agent, and was in growing demand. Some really cool scripts were getting sent her way.

While she was working on the second movie, the first had started post production, and finally the publicity tour and premiere got underway. Leonie wasn't needed as much as the other actress for this, since she wasn't a star yet. The media was more interested in established names. There had been some interviews though, and seeing her words and face in print had been a very strange experience.

Leonie had also become firm friends with her co-star, and had learnt a lot from her. They had shared a flat in London for a couple of months, but the other girl had then moved to LA. Which might be a move that Leonie needed to make in future. This was also stressing her out a bit, even though it was exciting.

Gabriel had finished up at St Winifred's at the end of the summer, and quietly left the priesthood. He had been working for a local government project with disadvantaged youth in London. It was only a six month contract, but he was hopeful of finding another position.

"If there are pictures of us in the papers, and someone at St Winifred's sees..." Leonie wasn't sure how she felt about the nuns finding out. They had been very kind to her. She didn't want them feeling upset or scandalised.

"They have no reason to believe anything happened while you were at school. After all, you left months before I did. If they guess that I left the priesthood because of you, then so be it. I did do, after all," Gabriel said.

Leonie supposed that Suki Laverne might spill dirt to a tabloid newspaper. She had been absolutely furious about Leonie escaping St Winifred's to actually star in a film. But Suki had been forced to button her lip as she had no proof. She also didn't want to alienate Gabriel, her English teacher. She had still held some deluded hope that with Leonie gone, she might be in with a chance.

Of course she wasn't. And even worse for Suki was losing the RADA scholarship. To some people's surprise, though not Leonie's or Gabriel's, Mercy won it. Suki hadn't even won a regular place, and was taking a gap year while she reapplied.

"I wish my parents could have been here. I think they nearly did come, but my dad is being so damn stubborn," Leonie said.

"It's a long way for them to fly. I'm sure they'd come to the US premiere. They are proud of you, deep down."

It didn't feel like it. Leonie's parents and grandmother had gone apocalyptic when she quit St Winifred's. Even a really kind letter from Figgy's mother hadn't improved things very much. "You must be so very proud of your daughter. It's such a wonderful opportunity, and we're delighted to have her stay with us in London for as long as she needs," she had written.