Yours lovingly, Mystery face (episodic novel)

PROLOGUE

 PEOPLE usually loved half of her face that she didn't hide from the world. It was pretty; pale, and of the clearest complexion that one would crave for. With shiny amber eye that reflected the sunlight as if it contained the very being of it amazed anyone who would cast a look at her. Her lips were the talk of the town, almost like two petals of roses dipped in dew and arranged on her face just perfectly on face. Whenever a passerby tried to flirt or admire her for the looks that lord had blessed her with, her face would turn of the color that fresh strawberries are of. Her hair color was a mystery too, some said she had long wavy auburn colored hair, others argued that she was blonde. Her eyebrows were lighter in color and make up was not what she fancied a lot. Everyone, though, was fully assured that she wasn't just beautiful.

Beautiful was certainly an understatement for her face...

Just half of her face.

The other half of the face was never revealed to anyone. She really liked to hide it with a dark colored veil. There were always some rumors about the other half that no one saw. Her origins were not confirmed, and absolutely no one knew whether she was being truthful about her face being scarred by an accident that happened in some barn many years ago. People were always curious of what she hid behind the veil. Some even claimed to see her; they said that it was burnt to an extent that even gods would fear to look at her. Some said she hid the other eye that was bulged out and hideous in every sense of the word after the accident because her skin and eyelids melted from the fire, just like wax. They wondered who gave her birth, for she was never seen with any acquaintance at the church. Some women were grateful that she did attend the masses, for if she didn't, people would have taken her as a witch and wouldn't spare her from a horrific death that was common in the era.

They talked about the mystery of her face in her absence rather in front of her, because she was one of those people with most beautiful hearts and even more beautiful souls. She was jolly and absolutely lovely person and nobody remembered anything about her face when she cracked funny jokes about her tours abroad.

She walked flawlessly like a hot knife cutting through butter. Some wondered if she floated like an angel. Her tiny waist and sleek white figure attracted many men of the town but the 'mystery face' never allowed any of them near her. She was always cautious of her veil not falling off her face and avoided children who would not stay put and try anything to see the face their mothers forbade them not to. She would keep away the household when she wanted to be alone and without veil. Her well wishers were many, but her friends were few, and relatives, none.

She had a girl, who called her mother. If one believed the rumors about her, it would have been no surprise to have believed that she must have been adopted, for when Eleanor was twenty years old, she celebrated her daughter's ninth birthday. She was a kind and a just lady and even kinder towards her only daughter and companion, the only one she could call her family, until one day, she just left without any warning, leaving behind all the wealth for her supposedly adopted daughter, Rose.

Nobody knew how her parents died and who they actually were. They sure were rich enough to leave behind an enormous fortune for their daughter who, by god's grace, also had a golden heart, an intelligent mind and an attractive personality. So much so, that the town nicknamed her 'Fortune'.

She was a girl that came like a storm, and settled the town's life with the wealth she brought, and one day, without telling anybody, she left.

She was Eleanor Fortune.

But, for the people, she was always going to be "THE MYSTERY FACE."

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