It was easy for rumours to spread in the village; life was short, time was monotonous. He felt the eyes of the community, as they watched him . . . judged him . . . he heard their whispers, their laughter, their comments. It didn't matter that his heart belonged to another. They would all believe what they wanted to believe, and what they wanted to believe was that he was engaged in a torrid affair with a woman half his age. It would ruin him, just...