While the experience was hurtful, Julia could understand their perspectives to an extent. If the roles were reversed, and one of her friends suddenly professed love for a man twice her age, Julia would likely voice her concerns as well.
However, that wasn’t the reality. She wasn’t in love with Harold, not in the slightest. Sure, he was a kind man who treated her with respect, and had he been several years younger, maybe he would have been her type. But this? This wasn’t love.