Peggy, Maxine and Allyn spent the weekend getting acquainted. As contemporaries the three elder women found that they had much in common and shared many interests, especially a passion for the arts. Peggy couldn’t manage to draw stick figures if her life depended on it but her lack of artistic talent heightened her esteem for those gifted souls whose work she so revered.

After a leisurely lunch at one of Peggy’s favorite restaurants the three friends spent Saturday afternoon touring some of city’s most popular multi-cultural arts venues. In the evening they made their way back to Peggy’s brownstone where her personal chef Charles prepared dinner for them. Both Allyn and Maxine loved to cook so they promised the next time they had a meal together they would prepare it themselves. After dinner they lounged in front of the fireplace with warm brandies as their conversation got on the subject of the animosity between Bette and Helena.

“I was so thrilled when Helena called to tell me that she was a new board member at the California Arts Center. She’d never shown any interest in the arts before so I thought after years of mine and Peggy’s influence that we’d finally gotten through to her as to the vitality of the arts to set the cultural agenda for the country. She sounded so sincere that I never suspected she had her own agenda in asking me to come out of seclusion to show my work at the CAC. She made her case by calling me on the fact that if I thought art was so important why had I chosen to be reclusive and hide my own talent from the world? Of course I couldn’t argue with her and truth be told I was already thinking about doing a show.” Allyn recounted to Maxine.

“Was Helena the only reason why you chose to make your debut at the CAC?” Maxine asked wanting the know the details.

“Not entirely. My daughter Allyson also steered me in that direction. She’s a huge supporter of the arts and had been to the CAC for the Provocations exhibit. She thought the venue would be perfect for a retrospective. She’d also mentioned several times that she was impressed with Bette’s vision. Allyson respected Bette and as the Director at the CAC was confident that she would handle the work with integrity.”