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    Unmasked
    Unmasked
    Unmasked
    Ebook52 pages48 minutes

    Unmasked

    By Michelle Marcos

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    About this ebook

    Some curses exist in secret, but some cannot be hidden from view. For a woman like Paulette, one glance in the mirror will remind her how monstrous she will always appear to others. But when she stumbles into the netherworld of the notorious Paris Opera House and encounters a sinister man even more deformed than she, she learns that things are not always as they seem. Of all the men she's come across, only he has been able—or willing—to see her for the beauty she is. The frightening yet hopeful bond they forge might be just enough to prove that some curses—though unbreakable—may be overcome.

    Editorial Reviews on Books by Michelle Marcos

    “The depth of emotions, realistic characters, history and sensuality make her novels keepers.”
    —Romantic Times Book Reviews

    “You can never go wrong with a novel by Michelle Marcos.”
    —Single Titles

    “Michelle Marcos is famous for her interesting and intriguing heroes and heroines and she definitely does not disappoint in this new release!”
    —Fresh Fiction

    “When I want a great historical romance, I’ll reach for anything by Michelle Marcos!”
    —LISA KLEYPAS, New York Times bestselling author

    "Michelle Marcos most definitely knows her craft, her talent ultimately shining through her characters’ inner mettle, charisma, and heartfelt journeys."
    —Romance Junkies

    "Marcos is a masterful storyteller who brings the Regency period to vibrant life."
    —TERESA MEDEIROS, New York Times bestselling author

    “Richly drawn characters, the spice of desire and a bit of mystery combine with undeniable emotion to make this a treat you’ll want to savor over and over again.”
    —Romance Reviews Today

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMichelle Marcos
    Release dateOct 6, 2012
    ISBN9781301801442
    Unmasked
    Author

    Michelle Marcos

    MICHELLE MARCOS is the author of Secrets to Seducing a Scot and one previous trilogy with St. Martin's Press. A native of Miami, Florida, she's worked as both an English teacher and an actress, and she writes romance to celebrate perfect love.

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      Book preview

      Unmasked - Michelle Marcos

      UNMASKED

      by

      Michelle Marcos

      Copyright © 2012 by Michelle Marcos

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

      The author gratefully acknowledges the work of Gaston Leroux, who created the character of the Phantom of the Opera on whom this story is based.

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Discover other titles by Michelle Marcos at

      http://www.michellemarcos.com

      ~~~~~~~

      A talented storyteller, Marcos gives a very human face to all her characters and the moral dilemmas and situations they face.

      -- Fresh Fiction

      The depth of emotions, realistic characters, history and sensuality make her novels keepers.

      -- Romantic Times Book Reviews

      When I want a great historical romance, I’ll reach for anything by Michelle Marcos!

      -- LISA KLEYPAS, New York Times bestselling author

      ~~~~~~~

      Me

      No one would ever make love with a monster.

      Least of all one that looked like me.

      The other villagers made it their duty to be certain I never forgot this fact. The farrier’s wife, Madame Bouchard, was especially conscientious in reminding me. Is that an earthquake? she would ask, loud enough for all to hear. Ah, no, she answered herself, it is only Paulette walking to market.

      The blacksmith was always quick with a barb. I think the whalebone in her corset still has the whale attached.

      I tried to ignore their taunts, careful not to let a misstep betray my humiliation. But I could never hide the rising color in my face, which inevitably grew hotter as everyone within earshot laughed. In a town as small as Sescité, where there is precious little entertainment, people take their sport in mocking defects in others. Of Gaspard the drunk, Monsieur Petit the dwarf, and me, I was the preferred target.

      My family had been prosperous when I was a little girl. Papa was a well known merchant in Paris. He took great pride in his wealth, and he was anxious that others notice his circumstance by the grandeur of his home and the size of his wife and his daughter. Papa used to say that a well fed wife was a joy to display, and that there were few things more charming than a child with rounded cheeks at both ends.

      When my parents succumbed to the fever, which for reasons I had yet to comprehend spared me, I was sent to live with my maternal grandmother in Sescité. My father’s debts had dissipated my inheritance, leaving Grand-mère without an allowance and me without a dowry.

      Not that the dowry would have ever been claimed, for I had neither suitors nor followers. Grand-mère watched with growing alarm as I blossomed into womanhood without a trace of admiration from gentlemen. There was nothing I could do to arrest the increase in my weight, compelled as I was into the sedentary position of seamstress, a post to which I had to devote myself morning and night in order to provide for us both. Grand-mère was kind, but honest. She thanked God that He had bestowed upon me a fair complexion, bright green eyes, and fashionably wavy brown hair. She used to smile at me, her papery hand cupping my chin. Such a pretty face. If only…

      When she passed away, I was bereft. Friendless and unmarried, my prospects seemed as bleak as winter in Sescité. I remembered the name of an old friend of Papa’s. Monsieur Frenet was a business associate who was a patron of the arts. I thought if he could find me a situation as a seamstress in the

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