Well, it had gotten a reaction, which was what she'd wanted. She tried not to focus too much on Miss Smith's audacity in suggesting she'd confused the birthdays of her own family. What would she know of Juliana's nieces and nephew? She clearly had no desire to know any of them, as evidenced by her reaction at Christmas to the very idea of ever meeting their mother. The reticence to make things more official could not have originated with Zach, Juliana was certain. Zach was too sentimental to have had ill intentions. Miss Smith, on the other hand, had only been dallying with his heart.

"Would you?" she asked, matching Miss Smith's volume. The veneer of amicability in her tone had disappeared, and she fixed an icy stare on the other woman.