Bette laughed at the memory of finding Peggy and James facing off in the middle of her gallery.

“She really was a piece of work. She hadn’t even introduced herself before she started putting me down because she thought I was too young to be running anything. She actually called me a child and asked if the gallery was a hobby funded by my rich parents.”

“Oh my, how did that go over.” Lisa asked knowing that Bette Porter was never one to be denigrated.

“I was furious, but I didn’t show it. I guessed in her world that was how most of the silver spoon babies spent their time, but I wasn’t one of them. My parents were well-off, and they left me a nice inheritance, but I’d worked my ass off at Yale to do a combined five-year master’s program.”

“Now you need to picture this. While she’s sizing up Bette the dogs are getting agitated, so she puts the one she’s holding on the floor and hands me both leashes like I’m the hired help. Which I sort of was, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah that was presumptuous, but I think you were glad to have an excuse to get out of the line of fire.”

“I was. She asked me to get them water. I took them back to our little kitchenette, but I was listening to the whole conversation from a safe distance.”

“What’s funny, is that I didn’t know who she was. I walked into the gallery when I heard the raised voices. It wasn’t until she told James to call her Peggy because she hated being called Mrs. Peabody that I realized that she was the billionaires raving lunatic that my mentor Ivan used to refer to. She was a pain in the ass, but he had great respect for her. He told me that she was a serious collector even if a bit eccentric. I wanted her as a client, but I wasn’t about to put up with being talked to in such a condescending manner. I purposely addressed her as Mrs. Peabody to make my point.”

Bette: Well Mrs. Peabody. This is hardly a hobby for me. It’s my life’s passion and my life’s dream come true to own this gallery. My mother died when I was very young. She left me an inheritance which paid for college and provided the finances for the gallery so I guess you could say my rich parents funded me. Now if you’ll excuse me. The next time I speak to Ivan I will be sure to tell him that you stopped by.