Chapter 28: The trial concludes

The court hearing resumes at ten o’clock. The plantation’s slave register is produced and the judge spends a few minutes studying the relevant entries. He doesn’t announce his opinion to the court, but instead calls for the lawyers to produce any witnesses. Both lawyers call for Brigitte Thibert to be called to give evidence, and she slowly works her way down from the gallery to the witness stand.

She replies to both lawyers’ questions with curt answers as though the lawyers are annoying flies troubling her important self. Yes, the baby born to Jacqueline was a girl, but entered in the register as a boy. No, she had no idea who placed the later backdated entries recording the birth of a girl. No, there was definitely only one child.

“So why did you falsify the gender of the slave’s baby?” probes Henri’s lawyer.

“Because we feared the slave may return one day and reclaim her child,” replies Brigitte. “We disguised the baby’s gender to make that impossible.”

“Hmm. So you were the owner of over forty slaves, over whom you exercised absolute control, but this one woman somehow terrified you,” continues Henri’s lawyer, sniffing an opportunity. “I think the court will find that hard to believe.”

“That is what happened,” says Brigitte. “What the court believes is for the court to decide.”

“I understand that you had promised this slave ... Jacqueline ... her freedom if she allowed you to adopt her child. Is that so?”

“Yes. As her owner, we could have simply claimed the child as our property. But we wanted an heir, for which we needed a legal adoption. The slave had contacts among the scum on the island, so it seemed prudent to accept a compromise. Her freedom for the baby.”

“I see,” says Henri’s lawyer. “Then why not simply dispose of the slave afterwards. Surely a fatal accident was easy enough to arrange. Your plantation is a long way from the nearest habitation.”

“That would be a crime,” says Brigitte, spotting the trap Henri’s lawyer is pushing her towards. “We allowed her to leave as we promised.”

“But without any money, and with only the rags on her back,” continues Henri’s lawyer. “You must have known that not many women who had just given birth would survive a journey as far as Saint Pierre.”

“That wasn’t our concern. Besides, we later learned she had reached Saint Pierre.”

“Is there evidence of her survival? I think this is all a pack of lies. The register shows that there were twins born to the slave. The boy presumably died not long after the adoption, and you substituted the girl for the child you adopted. After all, you must have known that only a boy can inherit land on Martinique. You had the slave silenced to cover up your wrongdoing.”

“You honour, that is pure speculation and it isn’t supported by facts,” interrupts Edward.

“Agreed, although not entirely implausible,” muses the judge. “It’s a shame the slave isn’t here to verify the facts.”

“Your honour, I might be able to shed light on those events,” says a voice from the crowd.

“And you are?” replies the judge.

“Jacqueline de Belleville, currently serving as commodore to the English, French and American fleets in the Caribbean. I am the mother of the child you are talking about.”

The courtroom disintegrates into chaos. It takes several minutes for order to be restored. Jacqueline, dressed in full military attire, comes to the witness stand. When calm is established, Jacqueline provides testimony that destroys most of Henri’s argument. The only thorny issue is the wrong gender being recorded against my name. The court could still decide that my adoption was invalid, and that I legally remain a slave of the Ladybird plantation.