Kalli gave him a chiding glance. No point in antagonizing the servants. He just raised a brow. Unrepentant.
The butler pinched his lips, then turned to do their bidding, but not before throwing a meaningful look at the footman standing by the door. It clearly meant. ‘Don’t let them out of your sight.’
He returned a few moments later to invite them to follow him. He led them to a sunny parlor at the front of the house and bowed out, closing the door after him.
“Let’s have a seat,” she said, lowering herself to one chair.
“I prefer to stand.”
“Dariux, you are being confrontational. Have a seat and stop looming. You look threatening.”
“Well, we are in unknown and possibly hostile territory.”
“What makes you say that? The duke and Olivia have shown no hostility.”
“That’s because they are not even aware of our existence. How do you think they will feel when they find out we are the culprits for bringing her into this time? And that we now have come to take her back? After all that’s happened between them. No, I don’t think they will be happy with us. We shouldn’t underestimate the duke. He is a powerful man and could cause a lot of trouble for us if he so chooses.”
“All the more reason not to antagonize him.” She gestured to the armchair opposite hers. “Have a seat.”
Dariux agreed reluctantly, but a moment later they both sprang to their feet when the door opened again and the duke walked in, followed by Olivia.
“My butler informs me you have an important matter to discuss with us, but I am afraid he didn’t mention your names. How remiss of him,” the duke said, formal and cold.
Kalli stared at him. They had been studying these people for over a month now. They had spied on their intimate moments, measured and analyzed every feeling they had. And yet, now she felt as if she were looking at them for the first time.
There was no need for instruments to discern their feelings at this moment. Apprehension bubbled under the duke’s stoic facade, and his eyes were full of mistrust and animosity. She conceded that Dariux might have a point of being wary of him. And they hadn’t even told them the truth yet. She gulped.
“Forgive the omission, Your Grace, I am Dariux, and this is my partner, Kalli.”
Dariux had spoken in the same clipped and formal tone as the duke. They looked like two rams about to butt heads. Better to intervene before their mutual antagonism escalated.
“We have the answers you are seeking. We know how she ended up here. In fact, we are the cause,” Kalli said, looking at Olivia, who had gone pale at the news and slowly sank down on the sofa.
The duke stared at them, and if looks could kill, they would be dead. But when he spoke, his voice was as controlled as always, betraying none of the turmoil she knew he was feeling.
“Please have a seat. It seems we have much to discuss. May I offer refreshments?”
“Thank you, but no. That won’t be necessary,” Dariux said.
Kalli sat and out of the corner of her eye saw Dariux reluctantly lower himself to the chair he had just vacated. The duke sat next to Olivia on the sofa, and they clasped hands, clinging to each other. Their small gesture of support nearly brought tears to her eyes. It was evident they suspected what was coming and were dreading it.
They spent the next several minutes answering their questions and explaining their mission. But when all was said and done, the duke asked the most important question of all. Why?
Dariux tried to brush it off, but the duke was too smart to fall for half-truths.
“You are right. Our mission had a purpose. And what happened with Olivia turned out to be a happy accident in terms of our mission,” Dariux admitted.
“How so?” asked Olivia.
“We came to learn about human interactions and relationships. About love. In order to explain, we need to give you a panorama of how the world is in our time.”
“In our time, humans are dwindling at an alarming pace because people are not having children anymore,” Kalli said, taking up the story, afraid Dariux would go on extolling the virtue of parbots. “It’s not that we are physically incapable. We have created robots that look like humans, and they can be designed and programmed with all the characteristics one person could want in a partner.”
“So why attempt to create a lasting bond, or make a relationship work with another imperfect human being, when these robots are available and a relationship with them is easy and satisfying?” Dariux added.
His words were like a dagger through her heart. Was he for real now? Was he back to defending parbots? After last night?
“The robots, of course, cannot reproduce,” Dariux continued. “There was an attempt to create a male robot equipped with sperm from donors, capable of impregnating women, but it was an abysmal failure. Very few women were interested. They consider childbearing and rearing a dreadful prospect that would damage their bodies and interfere with their personal pursuits, so they did not want this robot. So far, the creation of a robot capable of bearing children has been unsuccessful. And given the poor acceptance the ‘dad robot’ had, the idea has all but been abandoned.”
