บททั้งหมดของ Punished by the Duke: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

~Penny~Rain was pelting down hard.I could barely see where I was going in the dark. The icy raindrops soaked through my lush hair, turning it into a tangled mess.Thunder roared so loud it made my heart pound louder. The wind whipped hard at my pale yellow gown, sending coarse shivers down my spine.Hugging myself to shield my body from the cold, I stopped in my tracks and strained my eyes to look at the dense woods. Bursts of blinding lightning illuminated the endless dark skies for just a second. I thought I caught a glimpse of something.Nestled among the trees, it looked like a quaint log cabin. Another flash of lightning, and there it was, a cozy looking wood cabin, with flickers of orange glow emanating through its frosted windowpanes.Ah, a fireplace sounded so good right now. I scurried towards it in desperate hope, the damp earth sucking at my feet. After hesitating for a moment, I banged on the door.No answer.I knocked harder. Pressing my rain-smeared face to the glass,

~Penny~"Let me come back to the point, Penny. Jeez, woman, you are so distracting." He made it sound as if I walked in here naked. "You will need to live in Mountbatten for a bit. Since you are originally from there, it will be much easier for you to blend in."Easier for what? A part of me ached for the familiar cobblestones of Mountbatten, a world away from this miserable life. But freedom wasn't an option. Not yet. My eighteenth birthday was only a week away. Perhaps I could defy my scowling uncle then and escape with my brother."Pay attention, Penny, will you? The Duke of Mountbatten, Leander Vance Bauer, will be officially coronated on his twenty-fifth birthday. It's only a couple of months from now. He has become a constant growing pain. To make things worse, his people love him too much. His political accession was done years ago, but Mountbatten will formally and fully accept him on the day of his coronation."How did this have anything to do with me? I could barely remember

~Penny~On the morning of my eighteenth birthday, I set out to Mountbatten with a heavy heart and a mind full of uncertainties and fears. The train chugged towards my hometown for about six hours now, but I couldn't sleep a wink. An edgy, frantic energy filled my mind all week.Spying. The very word made my stomach churn. There were so many lies involved, so much at stake if I failed.Lawrence Campbell had mentioned that the nursemaid who had failed him before was dead. He didn't care to elaborate if he killed her or the Duke had her executed. Every position of work at the Duke's castle involved stringent background checks, and yet, Lawrence somehow created some fake records for me to show that I had lived in Mountbatten all my life. He even went to the extent of writing letters to the housekeeper and butler on my behalf, fabricating lies upon lies.His grand plan, it seemed, was for me to waltz right up to the Duke himself. But the best he could manage was a dressmaker position for th

~Penny~I sucked in a deep breath and slowly turned the door handle. Another silent prayer escaped my lips. So far so good. Stepping inside, I fought the urge to gawk at the breathtaking mountain vista that sprawled through the expansive windows. Luxurious furniture whispered of wealth and privilege, but my mission demanded focus.I approached the ornately framed mirror, its gleaming surface reflecting a nervous intruder. A bunch of neatly stacked mail was on the dresser. But none of them were opened yet. I retrieved a pen and a scrap of paper from my purse and scribbled down the names of the people they were from.Where did he put the opened letters? These weren't what I was looking for. I walked over to the wastebasket to take a peek. It was empty. I reached into the coat pocket of a suit lying outside the closet. Nothing.I faced the wall, trying to think. The clock was ticking. Did I have enough time to open the closet and search through it quickly? I should at least skim through i

~Penny~"Looks like Trevor's early." The Duke got off the bed while she caught his arm in a panic."Trevor? You mean your cousin Trevor?" Fear seemed to seize her. "I can't be caught like this! He is the top suitor for me. My mother will have my head!" She jumped off the bed and started hunting for her clothes.I felt more panic than she did. What if she wanted to hide in this same closet until Trevor was gone? God, please stop her. I tried to move to the farthest corner, almost knocking over one of his shoes. Barely managing to catch it before it crashed to the floor, I held onto it mindlessly while straining to hear their conversation. "Your cousin is too clueless to figure that I am interested in him." She explained, frantically smoothing the wrinkles of her silk gown. "Every time he sees me, he just tries to send me away. Maybe I'm not his type."The Duke, clad only in a pair of breeches, arched a brow. He seemed to be unfazed by her beauty."Does he have a type?""Most of the tim