The doctor recorded the birth of Maria da Conceição Ferreira da Costa, legitimate daughter of Colonel Augusto and Dona Esperança. The Colonel faced the first major dilemma of his plan. The child’s appearance would make it impossible to hide her origin indefinitely. In a society where the racial purity of important families was fundamental to social status, having a visibly mixed-race daughter could destroy the family reputation.
Dona Esperança, exhausted by the labor but finally a mother, developed an immediate and intense love for her daughter. For her, the physical characteristics of the child were less important than the achievement of having generated a life. After years of frustrated pregnancies, holding her daughter alive and healthy surpassed any concern about appearance.
The six slaves who participated in the agreement reacted in different ways to the birth. Each wondered secretly if he was the biological father of the girl. The child’s physical characteristics did not allow for definitive identification. Any of the men could have contributed to her conception.
João Crisóstomo, discreetly observing the child during his activities in the Big House, noticed similarities to his own daughter, born to a slave years earlier. The curve of the jaw and the shape of the eyes were similar, but he kept his observations to himself, knowing that any comment would be dangerous. Miguel dos Santos became visibly disturbed when he saw the girl for the first time.
His hands shook when he passed near the cradle during a task in the Big House. The possibility of being a father and not being able to exercise that role affected him deeply. Pedro Gonçalves, due to his emotional proximity to Dona Esperança, developed a special affection for the child.
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