Faces of a Clown

Laura's childhood friend Mark turned violently against her when his father died as a result of a tragic accident. She was the driver of the car that struck his father. He hounded her out of San Francisco seven years ago. But now he needs her. Her uncle, half owner of the law firm Mark inherited from his father, has died and left his half of the firm to Laura and her cousin, jointly. Mark travels to Seattle to find Laura and, distasteful as he finds the idea of it, convince her to come back to San Francisco and work with him to save the firm from her cousin's spendthrift machinations. He is not surprised to find Laura dressed as a clown, entertaining the crowd along Seattle's waterfront with a troupe of clowns. He is unsettled when she show more reacts to his presence with sheer terror and the male members of the troupe defend her against him.

Laura is terrified to see Mark. She loved him seven years ago and was devastated when she struck his father in the early hours of the morning during a driving rain storm. Mark charged her with murder when the police wouldn't. When the jury agreed with the police and wouldn't convict her, Mark cornered her, viciously dissected her personality and threatened to get revenge. She can see the life she so carefully built tumbling down around her ears. She's makes a comfortable, if small living as the owner/manager of a troupe of clowns, teaching clowning and doing events with her troupe.

Mark sees her clowning as yet another proof that she is flighty and frivolous. He is determined to make her see his side of the dispute over the Law firm and turn her shares over to him.

Things get dicey when Mark coerces Laura into going back to San Francisco and attend a dinner party he is giving for political movers and shakers. When she tells the company about her clowning career, as a result of a question, Mark dismisses it as a hobby, something to be expected from silly , flighty Laura. He is dumbfounded when she takes offense, gives a demonstration of her abilities, with the dessert for his dinner party, and then goes back to Seattle.

I liked the push and pull of this, Laura still loves Mark, but she's afraid of him and is determined not to let him know and not to let him trod her under again. Mark is determined to hate Laura, he is angry that he has to deal with her again, he is stunned by the change in her, she is still a gentle person, but she now has a core of steel. He is also discomforted to discover that he has feelings for her. The story twists and turns, but is always a good read show less