A Beauty and the Beast tale set during America's Gilded Age ""I may be a monster, MissTate, but I am not a beast." His new secretary looked unconvinced. How could he blame her? His mask had her trembling like a frightened rabbit. Yet what lay beneath was far worse. The sight of his face had already killed one young woman. He well understood MissTate's fear. If only she understood his. Because as disturbing as she found his gruesome appearance, he was far more terrified of her beauty." Heir to a wealthy robber baron, Jonathan Nashe had every advantage money could buy until a tragic fire left him horribly disfigured. Now he lives secluded in his isolated country mansion, his scientific research his only solace. When declining health threatens to rob him of even this small comfort, Jonathan is forced to choose between his work and his privacy. Reluctantly, he hires a secretary. Though distasteful, sacrificing his privacy soon proves the least of his concerns; he never expected to sacrifice his heart as well. But Isabelle Tate guards the secrets of her past as vigilantly as Jonathan hides the scars beneath his mask. Can they confess their growing love for one another knowing that to bare their deepest feelings, they must also bare their deepest shame?"