Chapter 24 - THE STAFF TESTIFIES
Marcus testified.
House manager Patricia testified.
Night nanny Zoe testified.
No one delivered perfect speeches.
Patricia admitted she followed Vivian’s nursery schedule over Claire’s objections twice.
"Why?"
"I believed Mr. Harcourt had approved it."
"Did you verify?"
"No."
Zoe said Claire once instructed:
"Do not wake Noah."
Vivian later said:
"Wake him at ten."
Zoe followed Vivian.
Why?
"She was Mrs. Harcourt."
Which Mrs. Harcourt?
That was the institutional problem.
Two women.
One treated as senior.
One as mother.
Then Jeanette Lowe, the retired maternity nurse Vivian had consulted.
"Did you tell Vivian Claire should stop nifedipine?"
"No."
"Did you recommend reviewing it?"
"I told her any concern should go to Claire’s physician."
"Did you say medication can make nursing unsafe?"
"I said some medications require review. I did not know Claire’s full medication list."
Then the old family manual.
Jeanette laughed once when shown the 1963 note.
"Nerve medicine?"
"Yes."
"I would not use that as clinical guidance."
No one should.
Then Vivian’s handwritten ratings.
Receptive to instruction.
Respectful.
Possessive.
The judge read silently.
Looked up.
"Who authorized you to evaluate Claire?"
Vivian answered:
May you like
"No one."
There.
