One Wore Blue Read Online Free PDF

gallant southern gentlemen,” he had warned her. And with a tousle of her hair, he had left.
    And she had been furious.
    But even then, she had dreamed about him, about those blue eyes of his, and about the deep, husky taunt of his voice.
    Because Jesse didn’t always tease. Once before, she had determined to go swimming down in one of the creeks and on her way she’d come across little Cissy Wade, one of Old Man Evan Turner’s slave children, and on an impulse, she’d talked the skinny, frightened-looking little girl into coming with her. When they’d come back, Kiernan had been astounded by Evan Turner’s fury with Cissy. Kiernan had confidently explained that it had been all her fault, but Turner had taken a cane to Cissy and warned Kiernan—rich little lady that she might be—that she’d get the same if shedidn’t run along. Poor farmers needed what slave help they had.
    Well, Kiernan hadn’t run. She’d stayed to see Turner strike Cissy. And she understood why her papa had always called Turner white trash, but that hadn’t helped any. She’d heard Cissy scream, and she’d come running for help, though she knew she’d never reach Papa in time to do Cissy any good.
    As soon as she had hit the roadway home, she had nearly plowed right into Jesse on one of the Camerons’ beautiful black racing horses. He dismounted and caught her before she could race on.
    “Kiernan! What now? Who did you tempt into doing what?”
    She didn’t care if Jesse teased her or not. There were tears in her eyes. Jesse held her shoulders and tried to shake free. “I took Cissy swimming. Just down to the creek, just for an hour. And he’s beating her! Old Man Turner is beating her with a cane. Jesse, he’s going to kill her!”
    Jesse stepped back with a weary look in his eyes.
    “Kiernan, Turner
owns
Cissy. By law, he can beat her.”
    “He’ll kill her!”
    “Kiernan, you should have thought about Cissy’s position before you invited her along.”
    “I just wanted her to have some fun. He works her so hard. She always looks so very tired. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I’d never hurt her! Oh, I’d like to tear his hair out!”
    “A few more years on you, Miss Mackay, and you’d probably try,” he said lightly. Then he added, “All right, all right. Go on home, Kiernan. I’ll do what I can.”
    She hadn’t gone home. She’d followed Jesse back to Turner’s farm, and she’d hid back in the bushes. Jesse had ridden in on the action, dismounted from his horse, and stripped the cane right out of Turner’s hands. Old Man Turner swung around, but even though Jesse hadn’t quite reached twenty, he was very tall and broad-shouldered and Turner wasn’t about to wrestle with him. Still, he had his say.
    “You ain’t got no right, boy, you ain’t got no right. Even if you do come from Cameron money!”
    “You’re going to beat this child to death, Turner!” Jesse had exclaimed.
    “She’s mine, and she was a runaway.”
    “She wasn’t any runaway, and you know it!” Jesse said angrily.
    Turner’s voice lowered, and the two of them argued onward.
    At the end of it all, Jesse produced a large wad of money, and suddenly Cissy, dazed and silent now except for her sniffles, was on the back of Jesse’s horse.
    Jesse had bought her from Turner. A week later, the Camerons bought the rest of her family—her mother, her father—a rickety old field hand—and her baby brother.
    Maybe it was then that her infatuation really began.
    Ah, but Jesse could still infuriate her! He treated her like a child!
    When her father had staged her coming-out ball, she’d thought that Jesse was off with the military, either in Washington or out in the West fighting Indians. It had been a wonderful night for her. She was tied into an incredible corset, wearing what seemed like a million petticoats. For the first time her father allowed her a fashionable adult gown with a daring, daring bosom. Her hair was curled and elegantly piled on