Ace-High Royal Flush

Chapter 1-1

Chapter 1

Growing up bookended between an older brother who was the proverbial golden child and a younger brother who sat back and watched the world go past, I’d learned early my best option was to go my own way.

For five years I’d been the youngest brother. For the next five years I’d been the middle brother. And then, when I was ten, I became the second oldest when our sister Portia was born. She came as a surprise, since we’d all been expecting another brother—Sebrings ran to boys.

That was probably why we all loved her without reserve and would put our lives on the line for her.

In the years between our sister’s birth and her leaving home to attend college, the world marched on.

Tony, our oldest brother, joined the Navy to fight in World War II and wound up in intelligence in the Pacific Theater.

I joined the Army in ‘43, as soon as I turned eighteen, and Father was furious. He felt the least I could have done was follow my older brother into the Navy. The entire family was relieved that I made it through the landing at Omaha Beach with nothing more than a scar on my hipbone.

Bryan wasn’t old enough to enlist in that war, but he served in Korea, flying the planes that dropped bombs on the towns and villages of the enemy. When he returned home, he was more reserved than I’d ever known him to be.

Portia was too young to do anything but go to school, where she excelled in languages, and compete in horse shows.

The 1950s saw us becoming members of the intelligence community, because if you were a Sebring, that was what you did. Tony worked at the NSA, where Portia would eventually join him, while Bryan and I were both CIA officers, although Bryan analyzed the data I acquired.

After Portia graduated from Wellesley, our father decided to send her to London for a season. Knowing her, he was certain this would enable her to make contacts that would be useful both for Country and Family.

And according to Father, both would be capitalized and Country would come first.

In addition, since the following year was the last year debutantes would be able to make their curtsy to the queen, Father determined ‘57 would be a better year for Portia to do so, avoiding the crush as it were. It would also give Portia a guaranteed cachet in certain circles. She’d stay with her godmother, after whom she’d been named and who was an old friend of Mother’s. Lady Portia Abberley, Viscountess Creighton, would sponsor my sister’s debut and give a huge ball to introduce her to society.

Father was also certain Portia would meet all the right people, those he felt would be well-placed in the government and highly influential.

Portia mentioned all the young men and women in the letters she wrote Tony. Those letters were couched in the code old Barnabas Sebring had devised even before he sailed to the New World in 1634 at the request of the second Lord Baltimore. That was strictly for family, unlike the code Horatio Sebring developed for General Washington at the start of the Revolution.

And then Tony received a letter that caused him concern…

* * * *

I was on leave, having worked nonstop since Egypt took control of the Suez Canal in July of the year before, and I planned to spend the evening with the man I was currently seeing. He preferred topping, and while I did as well, I didn’t mind switching off too much. He did know how to use his c**k.

I strolled into the small kitchen in my apartment, where the phone hung on the wall. The plan was to call Richard and see if he was up for a little romp in the sheets—perhaps I could persuade him to switch positions for a change this evening.

The phone rang just as I reached for it. I observed it for a moment. Could Richard have had the same idea?

I picked up the receiver. “Sebring.”

“Jeff, it’s Tony. Something’s come up. Can you come to my place right now?” My brother didn’t tend to be excitable, and the only thing that would disturb him was a threat to our sister.

“Is Portia all right?”

“Yes, but I’m concerned. Father and Bryan are on their way.”

Whatever was going on with our sister, it obviously wasn’t something he wanted anyone outside the family to be aware of, hence the summons to his apartment.

“I’ll be there ASAP.”

Richard would have to wait.