A Free Man of Color Read Online Free

Destroy this jacket! Cruel silken death! Murmur, dress me once more—
    Jacques Cornet and Murmur leave. Morales picks up Melpomene to go into the other room as—
    DR. T At this moment out in the harbor, a packet boat from Havana slithers into New Orleans. It bears a message from a spy in the court of the King of Spain, addressed to the Supreme Intendante Morales. It is marked top secret. And change, the ultimate unchartered territory, casts its latest devil-may-care map over everyone’s head.
    Pincepousse enters, agitated, out of breath, carrying an Imperial document.
    PINCEPOUSSE ( gasping )Morales! There you are! A messenger came seeking you. I took the message. It’s from Madrid. We never get mail.
    MORALES Pincepousse! I have a prior appointment. Paciencia .
    Morales exits with Melpomene.
    PINCEPOUSSE ( to us )The King of Spain probably wants Margery!
    DR. T Who is Margery?
    PINCEPOUSSE No one! ( to us )Margery Jolicoeur. My true love. The King of Spain has received word of my recent plaçage and wants her for his own. No! Margery is mine! ‘She walks in beauty like the night’.
    DR. T ( to us ) Plaçage is a local law allowing white men to enter into an official arrangement with a woman of color—it protects her—it protects him.
    MURMUR Think of marriage without any of the downside.
    Jacques enters in yet another dazzling outfit.
    JACQUES CORNET My brother! You’ve been out of town.
    PINCEPOUSSE My dear half -brother—Gad, I hate him so much I have forgot what I was going to say. All this should be mine!
    JACQUES CORNET Is that a letter for me?
    PINCEPOUSSE Not everything’s for you. I’m waiting for Morales.
    JACQUES CORNET The letter upsets you.
    PINCEPOUSSE Nothing could be further from the truth. I revel in the serenity of my mother being a Duchesse.
    Enter MARGERY JOLICOEUR, dressed in country clothes and wearing a tignon, a scarf wrapped high on her head, decorated with jewels and flowers.
    MARGERY How long I got to wait in that drafty carriage?
    PINCEPOUSSE ( a rage )Wait in the carriage! Let no man see you.
    JACQUES CORNET Is that a wife?
    PINCEPOUSSE Yes. No! Not a wife!
    MARGERY What beautiful dishes! What a beautiful house! ( she sees Jacques ) Oh. What a beautiful man.
    JACQUES CORNET ( to Margery )They told me you were beautiful. They didn’t tell me you were this beautiful—
    PINCEPOUSSE Wait in the carriage!
    Pincepousse drags Margery out.
    DORILANTE Pincepousse has already lost his wife.
    HARCOURT I wouldn’t let my wife near Jacques.
    SPARKS Luckily, my wife has never seen Jacques.
    MURMUR ( holding up a key ring heavy with keys, to us )See these keys? My boss knows his way into these men’s bedrooms.
    Pincepousse returns, attempting nonchalance.
    JACQUES CORNET Why, you old whore master, have you married? Murmur, bring the champagne!
    PINCEPOUSSE I deny it! ( banging on the chamber door ) Morales!!!! —The young woman is—she is—not a woman. It was merely a young man in costume for the ball tonight.
    JACQUES CORNET A boy in a dress? You are getting interesting in your old age. He was exceedingly pretty. Bring him in.
    PINCEPOUSSE You shall not debauch her—him.
    JACQUES CORNET You insist he’s male? Have you foresworn the fairer sex?
    PINCEPOUSSE I do have a mistress.
    JACQUES CORNET And the young man? A ménage a trois?
    PINCEPOUSSE No ménage . Only her—brother!
    JACQUES CORNET Does your mistress know her brother is being seen around town in her clothes?
    PINCEPOUSSE I don’t know the fashion of the young.
    JACQUES CORNET Let me make you a wedding gift.
    PINCEPOUSSE I shall happily accept a wedding gift—such as this house, which is rightfully mine!
    JACQUES CORNET After I meet her. Bring her here.
    PINCEPOUSSE She’s too awkward and ill-favored to bring to town. ( aside ) He wants everything that is mine!
    Morales opens the chamber door—a matador after a kill.
    MORALES Olé!
    Melpomene follows, limping.
    MELPOMENE He kept his armor on.
    PINCEPOUSSE ( pulls Morales aside