Read A World Apart (The Hands of Time: Book 3) for Free Online Page B

in.  The strange old man was peering up at him, imploring him to listen.
    “I wasn’t suggesting that she leave you.  I was merely offering Louisa and Valerie a chance to return to the future if they wish it.”  Mr. Taylor took a step back, watching Kit.  “Maybe you should sit down.  You don’t look well.”
    “I don’t wish to sit down.  I might never get up.  So, what happened tonight?  Maybe you can explain it before I go question my wife.”
    “It appears that young Finn found the time-travel device and activated it.  I don’t know what made him choose that particular year, but he seems to have transported himself.  Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to leave the device behind; otherwise, he’d be stranded there, and I would be stranded here.  I will give the watch to Valerie and Alec to go in pursuit of their son.  They can’t return without it.”  Mr. Taylor continued to watch Kit.  He thought the man might just hit him, and took another step back just to be on the safe side.
    “And what will you do if they take the device?” asked Kit, his eyes narrowed.
    “I must stay here until they return.  There’s no way for me to get back to my time without it.  I’ll stay with you, if I may.”
    Kit just glared at the old man.  At the moment , he wasn’t feeling very hospitable.  He wanted to grab him by his shabby coat and shake him until his anger had abated or the old man’s head flew off, whichever came first.  Kit ran down the stairs, suddenly feeling as if he couldn’t breathe.  He needed to get outside where things were still as they had been a few hours ago and the world made sense.  Kit strode toward the lake, his long legs covering the lawn in record time.  He felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach, and kept punching him until he couldn’t take the pain.  His brain was on fire, unable to accept what he’d just found out.  He wasn’t sure what to address first, so he stomped around the lake, trying to get his thoughts into some kind of order, but the facts just kept coming at him mercilessly, leaving him helpless and devastated. 
    Kit felt an actual pain in his heart that squeezed the life out of him with its intensity.  His wife had come from the future and withheld the truth from him all this time.  He’d trusted her with his heart and soul, but she didn’t trust him enough to be honest with him.  All of them had known and treated him like a fool, keeping him in ignorance while they all talked about their past life behind his back.  Alec, whom he trusted and loved like a brother, had not seen fit to tell him anything, leaving him to believe that all was as it should be. 
    Kit took a deep breath, but the ache in his heart only grew worse.  He and Louisa had had plenty of arguments in the past, but he’d never doubted her love for him.  They were just minor disagreements that were usually resolved with a few sweet words and a kiss, but not this time.  She’d lied to him for years, played him for a fool.  They all had.  And now she was thinking of going back.  Had she even considered him?
    Kit stopped walking and turned to the lake.  The pale orb of the moon was reflected in the glassy black surface of the lake, its perfection occasionally marred by floating leaves.  Frogs croaked loudly, creating a cacophony of sound that blended seamlessly with the sounds of nature.  The muddy smell of the bank was strangely comforting, as was the rustling of leaves in the gentle evening breeze.  Kit sat down on the bench, staring at the still water, his mind focused on the day Evangeline was born.  The baby had been past term, according to Bridget, and Louisa was cranky and tired, anxious about the wellbeing of the infant.  She paced the house like a wild beast in captivity, wearing out the floorboards and herself.  Kit tried to calm her, but nothing worked.  Bridget had suggested taking long walks to bring on the labor pains, but the walking