It was almost as if Helena was determined to be as different from her mother as she could get. Although Peggy spent over forty years married to Alistair and living the majority of the time in London she never lost her decidedly American accent so it was no surprise that Helena spoke with a clipped British accent.

She’d had the option of getting her education in the states, but preferred to be educated in Europe. From the beginning there was an ingrained rivalry between mother and daughter for Alistair’s attention. While at the same time Helena developed antagonism towards anything and anyone that took her mother’s attention away from her. She’d been in therapy for years but spent more time trying to seduce or control her therapists rather than actually working on her psychosis which might account for how they got to this point.

***

Helena heard the doorbell and thought perhaps it was Kelly Wentworth with news of her conversation with Mark Wallen, but she didn’t move from her spot in case it was just a delivery person or one of the help. She continued working knowing that Ramona would answer the door and announce her guest if someone needed to see her.

Ramona recognized the older woman standing at the front door as Helena’s mother Peggy Peabody.

“Hello Ramona.”

“Mrs. Peabody it’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you as well. Is my daughter home?”

“Yes ma’am she’s in her study. If you’ll make yourself comfortable in the living room I’ll let her know you are here. May I offer you something while you wait?”

“No thank you. I’m fine.”

“OK I will be right back.”

Peggy made her way to the living room area that Ramona had indicated. She hadn’t had much of a chance to look around on her previous visit so as she waited for Ramona’s return she admired her daughter’s home and found it to be beautiful and well appointed.

She waited patiently half-expecting that Helena would refuse to see her but she’d hoped otherwise. They had some unfinished business. Peggy thought it best to take care of it civilly just between them than to create another public spectacle that wouldn’t be contained in a hotel ballroom in front of one hundred people but would likely be played out in the mainstream media in front of hundreds of thousands.