Ramona was back within a few minutes and invited Peggy to follow her. Helena was waiting in the sitting room where just the night before she was making all attempts to put a stop to the plan Kelly had set in motion. She knew she’d have to face her mother eventually she just wished that she knew the outcome of Kelly’s conversation with Mark before she’d have to do it. At this point she wasn’t sure if it even mattered. After last night no one would believe she had nothing to do with it. Even if Kelly was successful in getting a hold of Mark to have him retract and destroy all the evidence it was inevitable that Peggy had already discovered the subterfuge and all four of them would go down for it.

***
“Hello mother.” Helena greeting was less than welcoming. “This is a surprise but then that seems to be your modus operandi these days. What brings you here this time?”

“I need to talk to you about last night.”

“What about it? I think you said everything that needed to be said. You didn’t leave me with a shred of dignity even after you promised.”

“And what do you think I was left with Helena?”

“I don’t know mother, but it was of your own making. You could have simply said we had a parting of ways or that I was pursuing other venture. You could have named Bette as your successor without divulging so much about our personal relationship.”

“That might have worked had you not already started your media blitz about your new agenda but you are right. I could have put a positive spin on that to work in your favor.”

“So why didn’t you? Why did you do what you did?”

“I suppose you’re asking that question to indicate we’ve come to a quandary.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re a smart girl. I think you know exactly what I mean but I’ll play along.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about mother. You’re not making sense. I ask why you did what you did and you tell me we’ve reached a quandary? I don’t know what that means?”

“It means that I think you suspect that you know why I did what I did but you don’t know for sure, so you don’t want to reveal too much until you know what I know.”