Editing Gates to the Garden:White Springs (section)

====New Arrivals====

Meanwhile, [[Gates_to_the_Garden/Brother_Peter|Brother Peter]] rode toward town, delayed by a stampede with which he needed to help.  He met with a group of cavalry, and rode toward town with them.  In particular, he spoke with Private Hector Cochrane, who asked what would happen if a woman of the faith fell in love with a man not of the faith.  Peter replied breezily that the man could convert and then they could be married.

The soldiers then saw the fire in the distance and rode fast to help put out the fire.

Meanwhile, Silas brought Leah and Esther back to the Temple.  Peter caught up with them at the temple.  They asked Leah what she was doing, and Leah protested that she didn't know what was happening, and that she'd been hiding in the attic, away from men with "dishonorable intentions."  Upon hearing the news that it was Brother Absalom wanting to court her, she seemed very receptive to the idea.

Silas interrogated Esther about this.  Esther responded that she wanted to protect Leah from lustful men, and to keep Leah from burning out the way Adah, Absalom's first wife, did.  Meanwhile, Peter spoke with Steward Absalom about taking Leah as a wife.  Absalom's response was blustering, but solid.  Peter proposed that perhaps it could be Hector's calling to be saved, but avoided going further on this.