If it hadn't been Juliana's brother on the other end of this, the shift in tone might have made her feelings on the matter soften somewhat. If it had come earlier in the conversation, too, it might have had some effect — not enough for her to have forgiven the other woman for walking out on her brother, but maybe enough for her to have treated the remark with some sympathy. If she had seemed obviously regretful from the first, it might have made some difference. As it was, this was too little, too late; Juliana had not a shred of compassion left for Miss Smith.

"No, it isn't," she said sharply. And if you change your mind about it later, I'll know how to find you.

She took a step back and raised her voice back to its normal level, again brimming with feigned cheer. "Well, I wouldn't want to keep you," she said with a bright smile. This much was true; she rather wished the girl was already gone. Zach was too sentimental for this; he wouldn't get over her while there was still a chance of repairing things, so in order for him to move on the break really needed to be as clean as possible. If Miss Smith had no intention of repairing things — which she clearly did not — the only place for her was gone. "Happy travels, Miss Smith!"