Kate could feel her cheeks burning as everyone's eyes followed Betty's form up the stairs as she fled, and then slowly turned to her, and she physically turned away, reached out and gripped the piano. The uncoordinated bundle of notes from under her hand made her cringe, and she could feel hot tears prickling at her eyes. Amongst the embarrassment there was an indignant stab of anger; why should she be embarrassed? It hadn't been her who had humiliated herself with a tawdry kiss, it hadn't been her who had let desires that were God's test break through her resolve. It hadn't been her – and yet she felt like she'd exposed herself just as much as Betty in that instant.

"Hey." Leon's deep voice cut through her thoughts as he put a large gentle hand on her arm. "You alright?"

"It wasn't me," she said quickly, "I don't know what's wrong with Betty. But it's not wrong with me too, I would never-"

Leon help up a hand and she went silent, and let him lead her over to a secluded booth. He was going to hate her; it wouldn't matter than she hadn't wanted Betty's affections, he had seen it and would think her a disgusting sinner too.

"Now," Leon said, slipping into the seat beside her, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she nodded, trying her best to smile. He didn't look convinced; his brow was creased, and he was looking at her intensely. She swallowed, mouth suddenly dry, and tried to fathom an explanation of how she was feeling, one that wouldn't make Leon hate her, one that would convince him she wasn't like that. A few seconds later, she found herself surging forward and pressing her lips to his.

"Woah there," he said, pulling back, frown deepening.

"I-I'm sorry Leon, I just-" she felt her lip quiver with renewed shame, and dropped her face into her hands, the warm of the kiss still on her lips.

"You've gone and kissed a lady and a negro all in one night. Are you going for some sorta record, Churchmouse?" He asked, his tone fond, and - when she peeked out from between her fingers - his eyes kind.

"I didn't kiss her," she muttered, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, "she kissed me. Why would you think I would kiss her?"

Leon shrugged. "I've seen how close you two've got. Sometimes friends fall into each other that way."

"That's disgusting," she said, the warm burn that came with articulating her disgust distantly familiar and frighteningly comforting. "We were friends, and all that time she was- that is not what God wants for us."

"Now now," Leon said, still smiling gently at her, "none of us can profess to know what God wants for us."

She blinked at him several times; that had certainly not been what she expected him to say. His gaze on her didn't falter as he waited for her to react.

"But the Bible-" she offered, and then her words failed her.

"If you know your bible, Churchmouse, you know it doesn't say anything in there about girls kissing up on other girls."

"Romans 1:26," she began with all the confidence of a child reciting a well-learned text, "'even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones in the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another'-"

"Ahh, Paul," Leon gave a small chuckle. "Who in Timothy 6 said that slaves should honour their masters so the faithful would not be looked down upon. Words that'd have me working the fields if they were still taken as meaningful these days."

It was her turn to frown, as the preconceptions she'd had of the man were dismantled; she'd assumed him a God-fearing man, but he sat debating scripture with her as if he approved of Betty's sin. Nothing had been what she expected in this place. Her family would have offered her familiar explanations and comforting words, they would have protected her from this new hurt. Leon seemed set on exposing her to it.

Leon, who had gone back to frowning slightly, slipped out of the booth, and gave a sad smile and a little motion with his hand that indicated he wouldn't hinder her exit. Kate avoided his eyes, her face burning with embarrassment and confusion.

"Take care, Churchmouse," Leon said to her retreating back.

Kate paused, her steps unsure for a few seconds, but she didn't turn to look at him. She knew she had made a mistake thinking this new life of temptation and friendship with people whose sin she'd been wilfully ignoring was one that she could never hope to live.