Chapter 824

　　"Imagine if someone sees us," the woman whispered. 　　"At this hour? Who's around?" the man replied. "Besides, who'd bother watching such a thing?" 　　The village was small, and Tabitha recognized most of its inhabitants. But the couple before her were neither married nor lovers. 　　The woman was the sister-in-law of the man, whose husband had been paralyzed in a fall two years prior. 　　Unable to bear her loneliness, she had taken up with her brother-in-law. 　　In the city, affairs were common—discovery might lead to divorce. But in the village, divorce was unheard of; if discovered, her punishment would be death. 　　That's why they sought privacy in this secluded spot. 　　People usually returned home by this time, leaving only Tabitha and Derek, who were clearly not thinking straight. 　　Derek began to speak, "Tabitha—" 　　Before he could finish, Tabitha clamped a hand over his mouth. 　　Derek had only recently arrived and was unaware of the village's customs. 　　The girl in question was bare