All Chapters of Punished by the Duke: Chapter 31 - Chapter 34

~Penny~We were about four hours away from our destination by sunrise. But where did the sun go? Even at nine in the morning, it was so frigid cold, and foggy. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the ship sailed really close to the North Pole overnight. As I walked into the open deck area, the crew wore heavy wool coats, hats, and gloves. The steward seemed to have used a hammock by the wood-burning stove at night to keep warm.Alice was serving alcohol to everyone on board while Lucy and Marie were busy getting the breakfast ready. Leo was probably still in bed. I dared to snuggle up to him once he passed out last night, but he wasn't a deep sleeper apparently, since I woke up in my bed this morning."Good morning, My Lady," Lucy said, beckoning me to join them in the galley kitchen. "His Grace likes these added to his eggs." She passed some cold smoked herring and cheese to me without explaining much.I wasn't very helpful in the kitchen, but I was glad to be here as it was nice a

~Penny~How could I be so irresponsible? I cursed under my breath, the chill of the late night air seeping through my coat. At two in the morning, after tossing and turning for hours, the realization suddenly struck me–where did the letter that Mr.Rolfe handed me go?It must have slipped out of my dress at some point. But where? I forgot all about it when I got off the carriage and settled in the cottage for dinner. It was snowing lightly now and the moon was out while I looked as suspicious as ever, tracing my way back to the garden and lawns I walked through earlier in the evening. Dawn was approaching soon. I glanced up at the second story window where Leo's room was. He must be fast asleep, maybe with Hannah curled in his arms. As I turned away, I thought I saw a flicker of movement.Was he awake? Could he see me out here in the cold? I had to hurry back to my room, hoping no one else stumbled upon the letter once the snow melted. The next morning, we set out to the ocean with