Belle Page #17

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LORD MANSFIELD keeps walking.

LORD MANSFIELD(factual)

It is for property!

JOHNI HAVE SEEN YOUR NOTES!! If they

wanted water they could have had it!

ON LORD MANSFIELD’S realisation - DIDO has given the

information to JOHN.

LORD MANSFIELDDido.

JOHNIf you find for the traders, youwill be formalizing in law theconcept of insuring ‘human’ cargo.

LORD MANSFIELD climbs into his carriage.

LORD MANSFIELDThat is correct!...(to his

driver)...Drive!

The carriage begins to move off. JOHN walks alongside it.

JOHNThen know that when you are gone,

your legacy will be to have leftMiss Lindsay in a world that saysshe may be worth more dead, than

alive.

LORD MANSFIELDShe is not a slave.

JOHNBy the very grace of God!

The words provoke LORD MANSFIELD. He stands, slamming his

hand to the driver’s wall. The carriage halts abruptly.

JOHN stands at the carriage window, breathless. LORD

MANSFIELD looks down at him furious, suddenly disarmed by

the emotion in JOHN’S eyes.

LORD MANSFIELDThis is not about Miss Lindsay.

JOHN is confused, flustered.

JOHNOf course it is! It’s about all

of us. It’s about everything...

everything that is important!

94.

LORD MANSFIELD searches JOHN, palpably affected now. He

doesn’t want to show JOHN his empathy, fights it - but for

a split second it escapes in the profound silence.

He recovers himself - considers his words before he speaks

quietly - as though from personal experience...

LORD MANSFIELDMr Davinier, the world is a

devastating place. You must learn

to protect your emotions if you

are to prevent matters of bothlaw..and love from devastating you.

JOHN is frozen, averts his gaze. LORD MANSFIELD regards

him, affected, bangs on the carriage again and is gone.

OFF JOHN, shaken.

INT. BLOOMSBURY SQ. ENTRANCE HALL AND STAIRS. DAY.26119119*

POV:
looking down at the sweeping stairs and entrance hall.

LADY MANSFIELDSmooth your dress, young lady!

LADY MANSFIELD pinches ELIZABETH’S cheeks. LADY MARY fusses

anxiously The bell chimes. ELIZABETH’S excitement rises. She

steals a glance up the stairs to REVEAL DIDO surreptitiously

watching. The BUTLER sweeps byMR VAUGHAN (OOV)

Lady Mansfield...Miss Murray...

As MR VAUGHAN enters Elizabeth descends into a curtsey.

LADY MANSFIELDMr Vaughan, how kind of you to come.

ELIZABETHI have thought of nothing else

but showing you Aunt Mary’s

chrysanthemums, Mr Vaughan.

MR VAUGHANWhat a pleasure, Miss Murray.

ELIZABETHYou too Mamaa.

She drags them away, sending DIDO a final surreptitious

glance that says, the coast is clear for her. As she does,

LADY MARY’S gaze follows - sees DIDO hiding. A beat. LADY

MARY hangs back - smiles satisfied to herself, before

moving off.

95.

EXT. BLOOMSBURY SQUARE. MANSFIELD HOME. DAY.26120120*

A hooded DIDO steps from the house. HARRY’s heart sinks.

HARRYNO! Never again!

DIDOFine! Then step down and allow me

to take the reigns.

Harry rubs his eyes, burdened. Then...far from jovial..

HARRYHad I known you were to be such

trouble, I’d ‘ave driven offbefore Captain Sir John Lindsay

bought you to my carriage!

EXT. WESTMINSTER HALL. LONDON. DAY.26121121*

A myriad of people flood into the court - politicians,

clergy, shipping merchants, abolitionists...and insurers.

DIDO steps from the carriage.

INT. WESTMINSTER HALL. LONDON. CONTINUOUS. DAY.26122122*

As they pour through the doors, we settle first on LORD

ASHFORD, then, JOHN DAVINIER, pushing into the room.

CUT TO:

Moments later...DIDO pushes into the court. She lays eyes on

JOHN, seated - forces her way past seated men, seen at

earlier meetings. JOHN stands, overwhelmed as she approaches.

INT. WESTMINSTER HALL. LONDON. DAY.26123123*

LORD MANSFIELD enters - sits, flanked by two LAW LORDS. He

appears profoundly focused - reserved, despite the chaos of

the filled room. His eyes dance across the sea of faces.

CLERKSilence in the court!

DIDO’s hand slides to JOHN’S.

LORD MANSFIELDWhether the ‘jettison clause’ ofMarine Insurance Law may be brought

to bear in this appeal. This is

the question. That is, first:

whether the slaves were drowned

as an anticipatory act. An act to

avoid the disease caused by their96.

(MORE)

journey, killing them once on shore,

and at their destination...depriving

the slave owners of any compensation.

He takes in the gaze of a free black man in the gallery.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

Or secondly:
whether they were

‘jettisoned’ as cargo! To savecaptain and crew from certain death,

when the extended journey threatened

shortage of drinking-water.

(steely eyed)

Let me be clear, loss of water on a

ship constitutes a singularly

dangerous affair - insurrection of

thirsty and hostile slaves at itsextreme - and an impossible task toshare diminished water reserve, amongall those living, at best. Each

implies severe threat to the lives of

the seamen. In such circumstances our

law is transparent and equivocal -

the jettisoning of enslaved cargo

...IS legal!

(he spells it out)

And in these circumstances, combinedwith unavoidable loss of water, our

laws leave the ship-owners securely

within their rights to make a claim...and behoves the insurers to pay

losses.

DIDONo!

Gasps from around the room...gasps that turn into cries,

including DIDO’S own. JOHN is rigid, anger rising.

LORD MANSFIELDThe ship’s owners chose a tight

‘packing fashion’ to transport

the slaves...A popular fashion oftransportation that is known forcausing death and disease.

His voice is raised over the sounds of a chaotic court.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

This choice of laying the slaves

tightly together is undertaken atthe Captain’s own risk. In the

event that over packing rendersan avoidable lack of drinking wateron board a protracted journey,

such a decision may be viewed as

simple ‘bad management’ on a97.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT'D)

(MORE)

Captain’s part, and further, weigh

as his own risk. An extended journey- one in which the destination is

overshot may also be viewed asthe captain’s own mismanagement.

The noise lowers to silence. LORD MANSFIELD settles on JOHN.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

It is not legal...to discharge lives

from a ship into the waters, toprevent those lives dying on land,

and to facilitate insurance

compensation. Whether they be the

lives of horses... or human beings...slaves or otherwise - It isnot legal, neither is it right.

DIDO lets out a gasp - breathless relief.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

Further, the claim of shortage of

water is illegitimate shown by the

evidence put forward. To mymind, it is clear a fraud has beencommitted in claiming insurance onslaves who were...drowned solelyfor financial gain.

He looks around the room - sees LORD ASHFORD’s acceptance.

His eyes fall on DIDO now and here they remain.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

It is my opinion, that the state of

slavery is so odious a position that

nothing may support it. This case

has displayed with searing clarity

the depravity of any such nation

whose choice is to practice it. You

may be certain that I have laboured

over my judgement and statements

today and am in full understanding

of all of the ramifications. Justice

be done,though the heavens may fall.

JOHN’S eyes brim at the realisation of those words.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

I find in favour of the insurers

and overturn the decision of the

lower court. I order a retrial.

Stunned confusion in the courtroom. Then, all kinds of

commotion - anger, cheers amid shock. LORD MANSFIELD stands.

CLERKAll rise!

98.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

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