“When the new yacht was delivered, did you and Paul decide to sail it to Europe?”
“Yes; in fact, that was Paul’s intention when he ordered the boat.”
“Please tell us about the trip.”
Allison outlined their route across the Atlantic and their stops in various ports in England, France, Spain, and in the Mediterranean, finishing her account with a description of their departure from the Canary Islands for Antigua.
“Before you left the United States, how would you describe your relationship with your husband?”
“We were extremely happy—euphoric, really. You know how newlyweds are.” She said this directly to a juror, who blushed.
“And when you began your voyage across the Atlantic, did your relationship change?”
“Only in that we became closer. When you spend a lot of time with a person on a boat, you really get to know him.”
“Did this constant proximity wear on your marriage?”
“On the contrary, I think it made our marriage stronger.”
“You are aware that not all couples do as well at sea.”
She smiled. “Oh, yes; we met a number of couples in our travels who were sick of each other. On the other hand, we met a lot more who enjoyed being alone together on a boat.”
“You were nearly fifteen years younger than your husband, Mrs. Manning; did that become a problem in your marriage?”
“Never at any time. We were both very comfortable with the age difference.”
“When you sailed from the Canaries for Antigua, was your marriage still a good one?”
“I would say that it was better than ever. We talked about that, and Paul felt the same way. We both felt very grateful for each other.”
“Take us back, now, Mrs. Manning, to your departure from the Canaries, and tell us, with as much detail as you can, what happened in the days after that.”
Allison devoted her attention entirely to the jury. She told of their start across the Atlantic and how, after ten days, it had bee
n necessary for her to be hauled up the mast to retrieve the top swivel of the headsail reefing system. She explained this carefully to the jury, and they seemed to understand what the problem was. She told then of looking down and seeing her husband, apparently ill, and of his collapse and her fear of being stuck at the top of the mast. Tears had begun to roll down her cheeks, and she dabbed at them with a tissue. When she told how she had buried her husband at sea, she wept openly, and the judge had to call a brief halt to her testimony while she recovered herself. Stone was delighted; she hadn’t cried at the coroner’s inquest, but the tears flowed freely now, and a glance at the jury revealed how affected they were. Finally, she stopped crying, and the judge nodded at Stone to continue with his questions.
“Mrs. Manning, did you know how to sail the yacht after your husband’s death?”
“Only in the most general sense. The deck of the boat was laid out so that Paul could easily handle it without my help. The only time I had any real job to do was handling the bow-line when we docked.”
“So, alone in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, you had to learn how to sail the boat?”
“Yes, and to navigate, as well. There was a book aboard on celestial navigation, and from that I learned to take a moon sight to establish our latitude. From then on, I just tried to keep the boat on the same latitude. I was off a little, though, when we made our landfall. I was aiming at Antigua, but I fetched up in St. Marks.”
“When you say ‘we,’ to whom are you referring?”
“To the boat and me. I began to think of the boat as my partner in survival.”
“Mrs. Manning, has everything you have told the court today been the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. “As God is my witness it is the truth.”
Stone turned to Sir Winston. “Your witness,” he said, then sat down.
Sir Winston rose slowly and looked contemptuously at Allison for a good half minute before he began. “Your Lordship, I will be brief,” he said. “Mrs. Manning, why did you kill your husband?”
“I…” she began, but Sir Winston cut her off.