His mechanical and distant approach was less emotionally disturbing but also colder and more dehumanized. Pedro Gonçalves continued to be the most talkative of the group. During the Thursday encounters, he told stories about his childhood, talked about books he had read, and asked respectful questions about Dona Esperança’s life before marriage.
These conversations helped make the encounters less traumatic for her. Francisco de Assis kept the habit of bringing small gifts: flowers, special fruits from the garden, or medicinal teas he prepared. His natural kindness created moments of humanity in the midst of the degrading situation. In July, Dona Esperança began to show the first symptoms of pregnancy.
The month of July 1864 brought the news that Colonel Augusto had been waiting for. Dona Esperança began to experience morning sickness, breast sensitivity, and a delayed menstrual cycle—symptoms she knew well from previous pregnancies, but this time there was a crucial difference. She did not know who the father of the child she carried was. Dr. Henrique Almeida was called to confirm the pregnancy.
The doctor, who had followed the couple’s frustrated attempts over the years, was surprised by the sudden success. He credited the conception to the new treatments the Colonel had mentioned, without suspecting the true nature of the methods used. “Congratulations, Colonel,” the doctor said after the exam. “Dona Esperança is definitely pregnant.
From the symptoms and initial development, I estimate the gestation is about six weeks along. If all goes well, you will have an heir in early March of next year.” The confirmation of the pregnancy brought complex reactions for all involved. Colonel Augusto felt a mixture of relief and anxiety.
His plan had worked, but now he faced uncertainty about the child’s real paternity. Any of the six remaining slaves could be the biological father of the future heir of the Ferreira da Costa family. Dona Esperança experienced contradictory feelings.
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