Chapter 10: Jesse

The Judson sisters of Naw'lins were actually half sisters and they were as different as day and night. Julie was the spitting image of her Irish ancestry. Her father and mother had immigrated to America in 1850. Colleen Judson died on the Atlantic crossing, giving birth to Julie.

But Julie carried the flaming red hair, the green eyes, the light complexion with a sprinkling of freckles, and a strong willed, Irish temper. She remained pretty much the tomboy, preferring men's pants, shirts, and boots to more feminine attire. Such clothing was much better suited to her long trips on the Mississippi with her captain and pilot father, Sean, than they were in Naw'lins society. She could most often be found in the wheel house of her father's Mississippi riverboat, the Irish Princess.

Julie, in the year just past, had graduated from apprentice to a fully qualified riverboat pilot. She was an outgoing, aggressive, no fear, type personality. She, in her own words would, "Take nothin' off'n nobody!"

That wasn't to say Julie didn't have a feminine side. She most certainly did. Julie was a beautiful woman, when she chose to be. At five foot six, she was as tall as most men and had a figure nicely rounded in the right proportions for her frame. This only enhanced her femininity when she chose to dress the part.

However, even when dressed in her male garb, Julie wore pants and shirts tight enough to leave no doubt as to which gender was under those clothes.

Sean Judson had prospered quickly in the few short years he had lived in the United States. He owned four riverboats, two outright and two in partnership. He claimed the Irish Princess as his personal boat and captained her ninety-eight percent of his on river time.

In 1852, Sean met and married a beautiful Creole woman, Odette, from Naw'lins. Sadly, for a second time, Sean's wife died in childbirth. That second child was Marie.

Marie was the mirror image of her mother, dusky complexion, jet black hair, and smoldering, black eyes. She was even taller than Julie, at five feet seven on long legs with matching long arms and long torso. Where Julie was "cute" or even "beautiful," Marie was a classic, striking beauty beyond compare.

Although she could hold her own with Julie in the outdoors, Marie's preference was the indoor life of looking after the city mansion she shared with her father and her sister. Although still only sixteen, or at least she would be in July, Marie was undisputed head of the household, and not just by default with Sean and Julie gone much of the time on the riverboat.

Marie was also boss by desire and strength of will. Marie was sixteenth and a half, going on thirty-four and a half! This was the Marie Jesse bumped into on New Year's Eve in Naw'lins.

When Marie told him to get in, Jesse first handed Marie into the carriage where she sat in the rear facing front seat. Then he hesitated.

Marie repeated her command, "Get in, I want you to come with me. I know you felt what I did there at the store. Our meeting was meant to be and I want to talk with you, get to know you. Now get in!"

Jesse got in. He sat in the rear, forward facing seat and, once again, the two just sat and stared into each other's eyes after Marie's command to the black butler/driver Sam to drive home.

Home. Home to the Judsons was a large mansion, occupying half or more of a city block, with a carriage house and gardens in the rear. The building was three storied and verandahed only on the back side, upstairs and down.

Downstairs, the house contained a front or 'good' parlor, a back or 'everyday' parlor, library, drawing room, small day room with couch/cot, dining room, huge pantry, and an office. The large kitchen occupied a building all it's own just outside the back door of the main house.

Upstairs, on the second floor, were the bedrooms. A huge master suite, furnished in a very elegant style, occupied a large portion of the floor, but the remaining six bedrooms weren't small and they were furnished nearly as elegantly as the master suite.

The third floor was entirely occupied by a huge ballroom with a stage at one end.

The front yard was quite small, set behind a ten foot high stone wall with it's ornate, wrought iron gate. A short, flower flanked, brick walk laid in a herringbone pattern, led to the front door. The two side yards on the east and the west, were each slightly larger than the front.

Only the back yard to the north was truly expansive, containing the vegetable gardens, herb garden, flower beds, "acres" of lawn, and the outlying carriage house and privy. In the center of the area was a circular flower garden surrounding a large and ornate gazebo.

Upon entering, Marie told Sam, "Please take the boxes to my room and then bring us some lunch and tea to the library."

"Yes Ma'am," replied Sam, already moving with obvious pleasure to do her bidding.

Jesse was already thinking, Thunderation! What a mansion! This is a far cry from what I grew up with as the son of a merchant and freighter in Milledgeville.

Marie said to Jesse, "Let's go into the library and sit down. Follow me."

Jesse did so, admiring Marie's lithe and undulating form as they walked. As they entered the library, Jesse looked around the huge room. Bookshelves full of books lined the four walls, floor to ceiling. Except for the west end wall. That wall contained a very large, curtained and draped window with a view over the north lawn.

Once in the library, Marie turned back to Jesse and walked into his arms. She reached up and they kissed passionately. Jesse finally broke the kiss and laid his head next to hers.

He whispered in her ear, "I think we'd better break this up before Sam returns with the lunch you ordered!"

Marie replied, "I don't want to ever break this up, Jesse."

She hugged him so hard, Jesse thought he would break.

"Jesse, the sparks between us are real and alive. It's truly love at first sight. I've never believed in that, but I do now!"

"I know," Jesse said, "I never believed in it either, but like you, I do now. But you are so young!"