In Mortal Illusions, When Claire discovers Germaine kissing her mother in the hospital she is also surprised that Marguerite is looking so well. What does Claire want to do to verify her mother's fever has broken and what are Marguerite and Germaine's reaction to her request?
“You're looking much better this evening,” Clarissa said with the false brightness mortals reserved for the very old and the very sick--conditions for which recovery was neither expected nor possible. “I think your fever's finally broken.” She retrieved an old-fashioned glass thermometer, definitely not hospital-issue, from the nearby chest and shook it down. “Let's see what your temperature is tonight, shall we?”
Marguerite averted her head. “Germaine's already taken it. It's normal. Isn't it, Germaine?”
He smiled at the reminder of her earlier playacting. “Perfectly.”
“Do you mind if I confirm that?” the daughter snapped at him.
“Not at all.” He appropriated the thermometer from the young woman and held Marguerite's chin. “As your daughter seems reluctant to accept our word, I suggest we humor her.”
Marguerite accepted the thermometer without protest, but her eyes remained fixed on Germaine's. Well? she asked him silently.
Germaine could hear the frustration in Clarissa's sigh as she turned away from them in a pointed show of disapproval.
I begin to wonder if George wasn't just a little too lenient with both his children, Germaine answered her.
George believed in solid reasoning and praise, she responded in quick defense.
Spare the rod . . . Germaine intoned. Retrieving the thermometer, he extended it toward Clarissa without looking at it. “Miss Danielson, you requested this I believe?”
