“Pamela told me this morning she believed you were too delicate to deal with Mr. Harrington on equal footing, that you wouldn’t have been able to deal with all the demands that would be expected of you as the wife of an ambitious politician. She hinted Mr. Harrington was really the one who wanted to break off the engagement.”

Juliet chose her words carefully. “Pamela knows I never had any desire to oversee and direct other people’s lives. Of course I hope to move people in my concerts, but that’s only for their pleasure, nothing more. As for Alex wanting more than I to break off the engagement—well, who knows? Perhaps Pamela saw something I didn’t. It really doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“Ms. Calley, let me be honest. You seem to me to be a strong woman who’s making every bit of use of her talent. I’d hardly call you delicate. I don’t think calling off your engagement was mutual or had anything to do with your being unable to deal with Mr. Harrington’s personality or with being the wife of a politician. I think it was your own decision.”

“You think I’m strong? That . . . that is very kind of you to say, but you only just met me.” She looked away briefly, then back at Mia. “It’s appropriate the two of them marry, they match up perfectly. And Pamela was smart enough to recognize Alex as the man she’s been looking for. I do wonder why she said I was delicate. She’s never said that to me.”

“Come now, that’s easy. She’s jealous of you and perhaps even more to the point, she wants to protect him. If it were known you were the one who dumped him, there’d be endless speculation and questions, like, did he cheat on you? Pamela doesn’t want anyone to doubt his honor, his trustworthiness. Be honest with me, you broke off the engagement and not because you didn’t suit, no, you broke it off because of something else entirely.”

Juliet jumped to her feet. “As I told you, Ms. Briscoe, I don’t wish to share that experience with your readers. If that’s all you wish to know, I should go see to my mother.”

Mia slowly rose. “Ms. Calley, I have no intention of writing about what happened between you. You’re the only person who’s been really close to Alex who suddenly cut him out of your life. I wasn’t sure whether to show something to you, but now I will. And I hope you’ll tell me the truth.”

Mia pulled the two photos out of her bag. “Please look at these photos, Ms. Calley. Do you recognize Kent Harper or Alex Harrington? You must remember how they looked seven years ago.”