[RECAP: To her surprise, Leonie has won Mother Benedict's blessing and support for her to leave school and sign the movie contract...]
One week later it was all signed and sealed. Figgy's parents had put Leonie in touch with their lawyer, who had checked over the contract for her. Everything seemed fine, so Leonie had signed.
Her grandmother's reaction had been apocalyptic, so the plan was for Leonie to stay at Figgy's house until she had the means to rent her own place. Leonie was excited about it all, but felt torn about being away from Gabriel. Even though she couldn't be with him at school, she liked seeing him. She was terrified he might forget her once she had gone.
"It's incredibly kind of your parents," she said to Figgy as she packed her belongings.
"Nonsense. They're delighted to have you stay. If you get famous, my mother will probably rope you into all sorts of charity things," Figgy warned her.
"I think that's a very long way off, if ever. It might be a total disaster and I'm a washed up school drop out by the summer."
Figgy thought this very unlikely. "And if you are, you can just get a job in London and do acting classes at night. There's always a way."
Her trunk half-packed, Leonie walked out with Figgy towards the dining hall for supper. No one else knew that she was leaving except for her dorm mates.
Lo and behold, there was Suki Laverne with her usual nasty look on her face.
"Hello Leonie. I hope you haven't made plans this weekend, because I need a couple more essays from you." She smirked, tossing her hair.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Leonie told her.
Suki's eyes narrowed. "Won't it? You know what the consequences are otherwise."
"I guess I'll just have to face them, then."
"You'll be expelled. And your precious priest will be kicked out as well," Suzi threatened.
Leonie smiled, using the same fake sweetness that Suki often affected. "I'm leaving anyway, you'll be happy to know."
"Leaving? So they kicked you out already?"
"No. I've been offered a part in a new Jack Edwards film, so I have to finish school early." Leonie was sure that Suki would have heard of Jack Edwards. She was proven right as Suki's mouth dropped open.
"You're lying. As if someone like you would get that."
Figgy interjected nervously. "It is actually true. Leonie had the screen test when she was staying with me before Christmas."
Suki was defiant. "I don't believe it. You've been expelled and this is some stupid attempt at a cover up."
Leonie shrugged. "Believe it or don't believe it. I won't be here after tomorrow, so you can do your own essays from now on."
Fury blazed in the other girl's eyes. "I can still go to Mother Benedict and tell her about you and the priest."
"Do as you like. You don't have any evidence. They'll just think you're acting out of some weird jealous fit. After all, I won't be here, will I? So it's not as if anything can be going on."
Suki gave a triumphant sneer. "You forgot about the letter."
"What letter?" Leonie smiled sweetly again.
"You know what letter. In his handwriting, addressed to you. All that poetry and shit."
Leonie turned to go. "I think you must be imagining things." She hurried off with Figgy as the bell had already gone.
Figgy was out of breath when they finally reached the hall. "Suki will be furious when she finds out you got the letter back."
"What can she do? I won't be here, and I doubt she'll dare to cross Gabriel. Especially with no proof. Besides, she needs his reference for her RADA application," Leonie said.
The two girls braced themselves against the fumes of boiled cabbage and went in to supper. Leonie felt as though a very heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. If nothing else, no more school meant no more Suki Laverne. And that was a huge reason to celebrate.
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Leonie has just one more night left at St Winifred's...
And nothing to lose...
Guess what's coming...?!!