Fortunately, his brooding and depression gave him all the excuse he needed to avoid going to luncheon, to Court, and to dinner, though several times during the day, Star covered the Valdemar badge on its hand, indicating that someone was scrying on him. He probably gave them pretty much what they were expecting, since all he did was sit and stare out the window, mostly not moving.

His gut reaction was I have to free it! But of all of the things he was doing, or wanted to do, this was absolutely the most impossible.

He was certain without bothering to ask that his rank as a Duke would not be enough for him to order the Dolls to free it. As for doing it in person, well . . . that was sheer insanity. The thing was surrounded most of the time by human tenders. How would he get past them? He certainly would not be able to order the Dolls to restrain them. And if he did manage to find another window when it wasn’t being tended between now and the Regatta, how would he keep it from killing him when he did free it? If he could?

I have more things to do than I have time, energy, resources, or . . . me. I have a hundred things to do, and only enough “me” to tend to fifty.

Granted, Isla and Hakkon were taking care of some of the remaining fifty. But he was the only one here.

“My Lord Duke?”

He looked up at Star, who had uncovered the badge on its hand. “My Lord Duke, it appears to this one that you are perturbed and upset.”

“I feel . . . stretched too far, thinned out over too many things, pulled so that I’m full of holes and if I take on even a little more strain, I’m going to snap,” he confessed to the Doll, and by extension, to all the Dolls.

Star remained silent. Probably because the Dolls could not think of any way to help him. Or maybe the Doll just didn’t understand what he’d said. He took it for granted that they understood human emotions, human frailties, human failings—after all, they had been observing humans for decades now. But maybe they didn’t understand him. Maybe they thought he was infallible, that he’d always manage a solution.

“I can’t do everything,” he said hopelessly. “I might not be able to do even what I’ve promised. I—”