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2013 - 2021 - This is an original work by Zeb Carter and is protected under copyright by U.S. copyright law. It is only submitted at Literotica.Com and any submission to any other site has not been authorized by the Author.
Author's Note
: This is a long story and is the fourth and fifth in the series. As you can see, I have combined the last 2 chapters into one, so this is the end of the Brotherhood Series. You may want to read the first three part if you haven't already. Please Enjoy.
Brotherhood of Janus Ch. 04-05: Sarah & Wedding
Prologue
My mouth hung open in astonishment, as the gentleman across the table from me explained my inheritance. I knew my father had died, some years ago. What I didn't expect was anything from his estate. I knew he was wealthy, but I wanted nothing from him. For the past thirty years, I had been on my own with no contact, with him or the rest of my family for that matter. My children were grown and on their own, with children of their own. I do adore my grandchildren and would do anything in the world for them and saw them as often as I could.
As I listened to the lawyer, who had tracked me down, wonder at what he told me filled my mind. I wasn't to inherit my father's company or his investments. I was to inherit his membership in the Brotherhood of Janus, whatever the hell that was. That along with substantial amounts of cash, allowed me to do things to better my life, as the lawyer put it, hefting a box onto the tabletop.
"In here is all you will need to know about the Brotherhood. No, don't ask me any questions, I don't belong and am not privy to what or who they are. At the time of your father's death, his wife and several members of the Brotherhood sealed this, so I could deliver it to you unopened.
"You will find the numbers to the accounts and the amounts of each that are now yours in this," he told me handing an envelope to me.
I opened the envelope and took out the papers inside. As I unfolded the papers, another envelope dropped out. It was the size of a credit card and when I looked inside there were five debit cards. Looking at the paper I had unfolded, surprise, is the only word I could use when I saw the amounts listed for six accounts. My heart was racing as I stared at the numbers typed on the page.
"This is also yours," the lawyer says handing me a metal briefcase. "It contains enough cash to get you through the next month or so. You will have to visit each of those banks to activate the cards. You will need proof of who you are...well the papers explain everything.
"This is all that I know and all I can tell you about this transaction. Your brother turned all this down. The order of inheritance is the eldest son, but we couldn't find you until recently. Offering your brother the membership in your stead is an alternative, he flatly refused and we were lucky enough to hear of an email to your cousin through which we tracked you down.
"Our business is now concluded, sir. Good luck to you."
"Ah...thank you, I think," I say stunned.
The lawyer, I never even got his name, although he did leave me his card, left. I sat there looking around the small room of a restaurant in which this meeting took place. I shook my head to clear my mind. Taking a deep breath, I gathered up the cards and papers, opened the briefcase, and stuffed them in a pocket in the top. I sat for just a second as I marveled at the cash that filled the case. Slamming it closed I locked it, making sure it would not open accidentally.
A waiter appeared offering to carry the box out for me. I nodded my assent and followed him out of the restaurant to my car. I open the trunk and he placed the heavy cardboard box in closing the trunk lid. As he turned to go, I told him, thank you, and went to hand him a five for helping. He shook his head no.
"The gentleman you were with took care of that sir. Thank you anyway," the waiter says as he turned and walked away.
I drove home in a daze. When I got there, my wife was out, so I sat at the kitchen table and opened the box. On the very top of the papers, there had to be a couple of hundred file folders, there was a single booklet. It was about 50 pages, typed and bound. The title page inside the cover had printed across the middle, "Brotherhood of Janus - Bylaws, and rules of Membership". There was a preface.
George J. Hood and Hyraim Janus founded the Brotherhood of Janus in 1865. The founding of the Brotherhood was for the advancement of members and their families. The Brotherhood required members to help other members in the areas of business and conservation of family fortunes. That was the primary reason for the formation of the Brotherhood. Only, later - 1920 - did the gifting of pleasure to each other in a monthly celebration come to be an additional aspect of the group. Although, in the archives, there is mention of grand meetings of the Brotherhood council and once business concluded, refreshments and entertainment, provided by the member's wives, began.
Membership is either inherited or bestowed. Although there are instances, that short-term memberships were given for payment for the good of the Brotherhood. The first five hundred members are founding members. Even though the member currently holding one of the first five hundred memberships is only a descendant of the first member, they are always to be revered as one of the five hundred.
Looking at the number in the lower right-hand corner of the booklet I read my membership number. Zero-zero-zero-two-nine-three, I was a Five Hundred.
I read and reread the booklet. I read every scrap of paper in the box over the next month as I flew to Atlanta, Charleston, Nashville, Birmingham, and Miami to activate the check-cards. For the sixth account, I just had to notify them that I was accepting the membership. That account held the projected dues for the membership for the next twenty-five years.
By the time, I returned home, I was conversant with the bylaws and rules of the Brotherhood and knew there would be a problem when I explained them to my wife, Jenny. Especially rule one-twenty-one. That rule says that the wife had to participate as a member of the Brotherhood in all aspects. This was the rule about Gatherings. It was long, involved, and never mentioned sex specifically.
I knew it meant divorce would be inevitable, so I had papers drawn up while I was out of town. When I returned, I explained the Brotherhood in as plain a language as I could. As I explained the purpose of the Brotherhood to her, she perked up at the mention of us now being financially independent. At the point of explaining the regional lodge's monthly meeting, she just shut down.
"So will you support me in this?" I ask her.
"What? You have to be kidding me. I'm sixty years old and I don't particularly like sex anymore, even with you. I love you, but I don't want to have sex with you. So why would I have sex with complete strangers in the setting you described?"
To tell what took two months to resolve as quickly as possible, we settled on divorce. I gave her one of the accounts. It had a substantial amount in it and we parted ways. It was a sad day, but the future appeared brighter, a little at least. I went about getting myself an apartment and started looking for some kind of business to invest in or buy. I also looked at the schedule of gatherings around the country and chose one to attend. It would be my first of many and would hold many surprises.
S a r a h
Chapter 1 -
Sarah
When I had agreed to become a Duchess of the Brotherhood, I had no idea I would be so busy. Nor did I realize I would have to fly everywhere. The first real-time, I was in an airplane, I was gripping the armrests of my seat as it bounced around in the sky. I was frightened to death. You can see I am very afraid of flying, yet I didn't want to let the Brotherhood down. With my knuckles white, eyes closed, and felling my stomach trying to crawl up my throat, I shuddered as the Brotherhood plane descended into Baltimore. That was my second time out with John as an investigator for the BID. He actually gave me insight as to my fear.