CUT TO THE CHASE
Jorden Summers
This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination, or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
CUT TO THE CHASE
Kindle Edition
Copyright © Jorden Summers 2011
The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
The residents of Hambleton Chase
The Atherton’s
Neil
Kristin
Camilla
The DeSouza’s
Ross
Arabella
Alex
Helena
The Gordon-Moore’s
Alison
Pippa
Sebastian
Spencer
The Querlato’s
Penelope
Lydia
The Range’s
Adem
Gloria
Dillon
Amber
Ryan
Marie
The Rowntree’s
Grace
Carl
Julie
Claudia
Sara
Chapter 1
In the rolling fields of the tiny but affluent county of Rutland sits the small village of Hambleton Chase. Within this village sit many homes, each home has so many stories that it could tell about the residents that have lived inside its walls over its lifetime, some good stories and some very, very bad.
Along Church Street, sits Fourwinds, a Victorian house with a white rendered exterior, home to the Range family. In the bedroom on the second floor to the right hand side was Ryan Range; he was getting ready for school. Ryan’s bedroom was the same uninviting shade of magnolia as the rest of the house. Ryan put on his yellow school hoodie; sprayed some Dolce and Gabbana aftershave on his neck and placed that day’s books into his bag.
From downstairs, he heard his stepmother shout his name; he walked over to the bedroom door and opened it “What do you want?” he shouted back to her
“Do you want a lift to school?” she shouted back
“No thanks” he replied
“Whhy?” asked his stepmother in an annoying tone that could make you ear drums burst
“Because Sebastian’s Mum is giving me a lift”
“Whhy?” she asked again, in the same annoying tone
“Because I hate you, that’s why” he replied quietly “Because she offered to” he said, this time she heard what he said, he then walked back into his room, picked up his bag and mobile phone, he was ready. He walked over to the bedroom and drew back the large cream curtains; as he did, he took a moment to gaze out at the world before him. It was a massive change to the world that he’d been used to until a year ago when his entire family moved to England from Windhoek in Namibia. The Range family had lived in Namibia since the First World War, when they moved there from the Union of South Africa, so naturally Ryan was a blonde hair, blue-eyed Afrikaner through and through. He missed gazing out of his old bedroom window at the golden savannah beyond; England was far too green for his liking, and far too cold.
Across the road at number 1 Church Street, stood a large house constructed of reclaimed Victorian bricks, home to Doctor Neil Atherton, his wife Kristin and their daughter Camilla. Camilla stood in front of a large mirror in her teal and cream bedroom getting dressed; her best friend Claudia Rowntree lay on the bed reading that month’s copy of Tatler magazine.
Camilla stood debating which top looked better on her, “I still can’t believe that your Dad got you a boob job,” Claudia said as she flicked the page of the magazine
Camilla smiled “Well, I did get an A in my Geography exam, I think that’s enough to deserve a one” Claudia rolled her eyes and then flicked onto the next page of the magazine. Camilla put on a plain white vest top; then ran her hand down the pair of black leather trousers she was wearing “Are you sure you don’t want anything for breakfast?” she asked
Claudia sighed, “I didn’t want anything 10 minutes ago, and I don’t want anything now, stop trying to feed me!”
Camilla laughed “Ok then, well, I want tea, so let’s go downstairs”. The pair then exited the bedroom, with a copy of Tatler magazine in hand
At the end of Church Street stands Charter House, newer than the rest of the homes in the village it makes a statement about the residents. In the large toffee coloured kitchen sat the Gordon-Moore family having breakfast, when the doorbell rang after a few seconds; Sebastian idly got up from the table and went to answer it.
He opened the mahogany door to find Ryan stood there “Come in” he said, leaving the door open and walking off back towards the kitchen. Ryan entered the house; closed the door behind him and followed his friend into the kitchen.
Ryan walked into the kitchen just as Sebastian sat down at the table; the Gordon-Moore’s chocolate Labrador was lying in his bed in the corner of the room and began to wag his tail. Mrs Gordon-Moore looked up from the newspaper that she was reading “Morning Ryan” she said with a smile.
Ryan smiled and said morning back, Sebastian’s sister, Pippa and his twin brother, Spencer said morning as well. Sebastian had just finished his large bowl of Coco Pops and he looked up at Ryan “Ryan. Tea please” he said, and gave his friend an innocent smile.
Ryan rolled his eyes “Fine. Does anyone else want one?” he asked as he walked over to the kettle.
Doctor Atherton and Claudia stood on the gravel driveway outside number 1 Church Street. They were just about to leave, so that Doctor Atherton could drive the pair of them to school, when Camilla remembered that she had forgotten her school bag. Now, ten minutes later, they were still waiting for Camilla to reappear with her bag, and Doctor Atherton was now late for work, and beginning to get impatient.
“For God’s sake, what the hell is taking her so long? I mean I buy her a new pair of breasts and she loses her brain!” he said angrily,
Claudia laughed, “I don’t know. She’s probably getting changed; you know what she’s like”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if she was” the doctor replied with a laugh.
Then, Camilla came running out of the house, complete with her leather handbag “Come on you two get a move on. We’re late as it is” she said, as she ran over to her Dad’s white Mercedes E-Class coupe, and got into the passenger seat.
At this point, Doctor Atherton didn’t know whether to laugh or shout at his daughter for what she had said. Instead, he locked the front door or the house; then he and Claudia got into the car.
Half an hour later, the four friends gathered in the sixth form common room of the Oakham School. Ryan and Sebastian studied their new timetable, while Camilla and Claudia continued to read the copy of Tatler that they’d been reading before school. “Who knows, maybe school will be different this year. Better even?” Camilla announced, trying to sound positive
“We are now in sixth form after all” chimed in Claudia
Ryan looked unimpressed “This school and this country suck”
Sebastian shook his head “Alright Afrikaner, calm down. Some of us are actually native to this country and don’t think that it’s that bad”
“Why do you hate this school so much anyway?” Camilla asked with a frown
“Because Millie, when I transferred here last year from the international school in Windhoek, half the teachers were surprised that I could actually speak English properly and some of them had never even heard of Afrikaans”
Camilla shrugged “Like I said. Maybe this year will be different”
“Ja, maybe” Ryan replied.
Chapter 2
Later that day, sat in the Atherton’s large cream and red kitchen were Kristin Atherton and Julie Rowntree. The pair sipped freshly ground coffee and talked about life “And so I told Neil, that I won’t stand for him talking to me like that anymore, then walked out of the bedroom” Kristin said, Kristin was married to successful Harley Street plastic surgeon, Doctor Neil Atherton.
“Well, my marriage isn’t exactly perfect either at the moment. I swear that Carl is keeping something from me” Julie replied, Julie Rowntree was married to local finance investor, Carl Rowntree.
“Well, I don’t know what I am going to do” Kristin said, taking a sip from her white coffee mug, Julie gazed out of the kitchen’s French windows and the perfect blue sky, she wished that everything in life could be that perfect, but they never were.
“I don’t know, for once, I actually don’t know” she replied and took a sip from the coffee mug.
At school, Camilla, Claudia, Ryan and Sebastian all sat around a table in the sixth form common room. Camilla was doing work on her laptop, Claudia was playing with her mobile phone and Ryan and Sebastian were playing cards.
Claudia sighed and chucked her phone to the table “I’m bored” she announced, Camilla looked up from the laptop “Is everyone going to the party on Saturday night?”
Claudia frowned at her “Whose party is it?”
Camilla thought for a second “Erm, Helena DeSouza’s I think” she replied. As she spoke Sebastian and Ryan finished their game of cards; Sebastian picked up the deck and began to shuffle it, Ryan picked up his bottle of water from the table and took a sip of it “Oh, who wants a lift home tonight?” he asked
“Me please” Sebastian replied, still shuffling the cards, Claudia and Camilla also nodded signalling that they would also like a lift home “Well, I think my Dad is back from Europe, so I think that he’ll be the one to come and pick us up. I wish he’d just let me go back out to Africa. That way I’d never have to see him or the step-monster ever again. Life would be so much better that way,” he said, Camilla laughed, it was common knowledge that Ryan despised both his Dad and Step-Mum.
Alison Gordon-Moore sat in the lounge of the Atherton’s house; Kristin came out from the kitchen carrying two mugs of fresh coffee, put them down on the coffee table and then sat on the sofa next to her friend “So what did he say?” Kristin asked
“That he didn’t love me anymore, and then he packed his things and just left” Alison replied, her husband had just left her, for no apparent reason, what would she tell her three children?
Adem Range’s black Land Rover Defender XS station wagon, complete with the personalised registration plate ‘R4NGE’ pulled up on the drive of Fourwinds, however instead of Adem getting out of the driver’s seat, Ryan’s sister Amber got out, because as it turned out, Adem hadn’t returned from Europe yet
“I still can’t believe that Dad isn’t home yet, I mean how much cut price dinner wear can you sell to the French?” Ryan said as he slammed the door of the car and headed towards the house
Amber did her best to catch up with her little brother, her stilettos tottered across the gravel driveway as fast her legs could carry them “Ry, it isn’t Daddy’s fault you know; this is a massive business deal. It could earn the family a lot of money you know”
Ryan stood in the doorway to the house and looked at his sister “I don’t care. I just wish that he’d earn enough money so I can go back to Namibia and never have to see this miserable raining country ever again.” With that, he turned around and entered the house.
Inside the kitchen of the large house stood Gloria Range, Ryan’s Step-Mum gazing out of the French windows into the garden, she then went and sat at the large cream island unit and started to take some painkillers out of their vial.
She heard Amber and Ryan enter the house and close the front door behind them.
The two siblings entered the large kitchen to find Gloria taking the painkillers “Don’t you think you’ve taken enough painkillers today?” Ryan asked kindly,
Gloria angrily looked up from the jar of pills “It’s none of your business how many pills I take a day!” she replied angrily, Ryan looked a little hurt “Ok, calm down” he said gently
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” She shouted, Ryan now looked angry
“For God’s sake Gloria take one of your chill pills!” he shouted back and then stormed out of the room, Amber shot Gloria a quick nervous glance then followed her brother.
Ryan was finding his keys on the hall table when Gloria came marching out of the kitchen. She marched up to Ryan, who was fumbling around with sets of keys in the gold bowl that stood on the table “Don’t you ever talk to me like that again!” she shouted.
Ryan gave her an angry look “Oh go overdose on painkillers!” he shouted back, and with that he picked up a set of keys and marched out of the house, slamming the door behind him, leaving Gloria stood in the hallway, not knowing what to say.
Chapter 3
Julie Rowntree awoke the next morning to the sound of police sirens. There was then a loud bang at the front door, and she quickly jumped out of bed, threw on her dressing gown and rushed downstairs.
There in the hallway of her home was her husband Carl with his hands behind his back “Carl Rowntree, I am arresting you on suspicion of fraud,” the officer said.
Ryan sat at the island unit in the Range’s kitchen with Claudia and Camilla, each of them had a large mug of coffee their hands. They were all dressed up in smart designer clothing; it was evident they were ready for another day of school. A few minutes later Gloria came walking into the kitchen with the phone in her hand, she handed it to Claudia “It’s your Mum” she announced.
Ryan got up from the island unit and walked over to the French windows, he could see the water in the swimming pool glistening in the sun, a minute later that was interrupted by Claudia shouting “OH MY GOD!”, she slowly put the phone down on the counter top and looked up
“What’s the matter?” Ryan asked, now no longer looking at the pool
“It’s my Dad. He’s been arrested” she answered slowly, as though not believing it herself
“But why? What for?” Camilla asked in a confused voice
“Fraud” her friend said slowly, her words echoed in the large room.
Alison Gordon-Moore stood in the kitchen of Charter House; at the table sat her three children Pippa, Sebastian and Spencer each eating their breakfast, the phone started to ring so Alison walked over and picked it up “Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Julie Rowntree”
“Oh, hey Julie”
“Well, Kristin and I are going on a spa trip and were wondering if you would like to come with us”
“Wow, that sounds great, when are we going?”
“This weekend; I just need to get away”.
Before Alison could ask her what she meant, she was had rung off, leaving Alison with a frown upon her face.
Claudia decided that she wasn’t up for going to school after what had happened; so Camilla and Ryan walked across the street to collect Sebastian. They still hadn’t worked out how they were going to get to school, but they were sure that Mrs Gordon-Moore would give them a lift.
Sebastian opened the front door, and smiled when the saw who it was “Come in” he said, and left the door open and walked off back into the kitchen. Ryan and Camilla followed him, shutting the door behind them. Sebastian was back in the kitchen; eating breakfast with the rest of his family.
“No Claudia this morning?” Mrs Gordon-Moore asked as Ryan and Camilla sat on stools at the island unit.
Camilla shook her head “No. Something. Erm. Came up” Camilla said weakly, Mrs Gordon-Moore frowned “Nothing bad I hope” she replied, and looked to Ryan for an answer, Ryan then looked at Camilla and raised his eyebrows, and then turned back to face Mrs Gordon-Moore “Well, you’re bound to find out sooner or later anyway. But, Claudia’s Dad has been arrested for fraud”. As soon as those words came from his lips, Sebastian spat out his Coco Pops across the table, covering Spencer “You tramp!” Spencer shouted, wiping moist Coco Pops off himself, and Mrs Gordon-Moore looked in shock, it now occurred to her what Julie Rowntree was talking about.
Chapter 4
The next day, Kristin stood in the master bedroom of the Atherton’s home at 1 Church Street, she had a suitcase on the bed and she was packing her belongings, her husband walked into the room “Now where on earth are you going?”
“I’m leaving you Neil. I just can’t stand this marriage anymore” she replied
“And what am I supposed to tell Camilla?”
“That I’ll be in contact soon”, Kristin put the last things into the suitcase, zipped it up and walked over to her husband who was stood by the door “Goodbye Neil” she said, she then kissed him on the cheek, a slight tear dripped from her eye as she walked out of the bedroom.
In the sun-drenched garden of Charter House, two topless tanned boys lay on sun-loungers soaking up the sun. One was Ryan Range, his blonde hair shone in the sunlight and reflected off his sunglasses. The other was Sebastian Gordon-Moore, who lay with his iPod on and a can of coke in his hand, these two boys were a perfect example of how life should be when you‘re a teenager, they had everything they could ever want, but life was far from perfect for them.
“Could it be any hotter, I feel like my flesh is melting” said Ryan, as he adjusted his sunglasses; Sebastian sat up “I know, let’s just hope it melts evenly”.
Ryan then lay back down, but he continued to fidget, Sebastian then took a sip from a can of coke “Damn, these board shorts are so uncomfortable. I need some new ones,” Ryan said,
Sebastian looked over “They have a sale on in Jack Wills in town; you want to go get some new ones?”
Ryan took another sip from the can “Amber‘s at work, so we won‘t be able to get a lift”
“Can‘t you ask Dillon?” Sebastian asked,
Ryan thought about it “Sadly not, he’s back in London and at university”
“What’s he doing again?”
“History of art, at the Royal College of Art. A rather pointless degree. But my Dad is so proud of him, for some unknown reason”.
Alex DeSouza stood in the lounge of his family’s home, Priory House. He stood leaning against twelve crates of beer as he chatted to Camilla “Do you think I have enough?” he asked,
Camilla looked at him plainly “Yeah, I think so”
“I can’t remember all of the people that I invited” Alex said and laughed
“Well, did you invite Ryan, Sebastian and Claudia?” Camilla asked, Alex thought about it for a few seconds “Erm, yeah. I think I did” he replied, Camilla smiled
“Well, from what my Dad told me about Claudia’s family, I wouldn’t have thought she would be coming” Alex added, Camilla frowned
“What? Her Dad went to jail. So what?” Camilla replied; both of them then looked out of the giant glass French windows; they could see the perfect manicured lawn, with its perfectly green grass.
At nine that evening, the party at Alex and Helena DeSouza’s house began and the beer flowed freely. Camilla and Alex fell onto the bed in the master bedroom; they were both extremely drunk. Camilla began ripping the clothes from Alex’s body as he laid there, watching her and still not believing his luck.
Ryan sat with his best friend, Sebastian on the sofa in the living room, each with a large drink in hand. “Lydia Querlato has been looking at you all evening” Sebastian murmured
Ryan frowned “Ja, you really think so?”
“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true. You should make a move on her. From what I hear, she’s amazing in bed”.
Twenty minutes later, a rather drunk Lydia Querlato stumbled on the patio of the DeSouza’s house. Ryan was getting another drink, she stumbled up to him “There you are!” she said, stumbling on to him “Are you drunk?” he asked.
She put her arms around the back of his neck “Maybe a little bit” she replied, she leant forward and kissed him on the lips.
Julie walked through the front door of the Rowntree’s home, she walked straight into her husband’s office, Carl was sat at his desk on his laptop “So, they let you out” Julie said. Carl looked up from his laptop “Hey Jules”, Julie walked over to the sofa, she had spoken to the police earlier and she knew exactly what Carl had done “Don’t ‘Jules’ me. I know what you did, you lying bastard”
“Jules, what do you mean?” Julie was angry now
“I know exactly what you did, you stole from our friends, you stole from our children’s trust funds. I don't know how you could do that?” she asked angrily
“Jules, I’m really sorry”
“I don’t care Carl, you lied and you stole from our children, the boys and I deserve so much better”, Carl looked at her, her eyes looked sad
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, that I think I want a divorce” she replied, she got up and walked out of the study.
At 2.00AM Ryan felt himself being violently shook from his sleep “Ryan!” the voice shouted, Ryan stirred from his sleep, slowly awakening “What the hell do you want?” he demanded as he opened his eyes, it was Sebastian,
“The party’s over, we had better be getting back” Sebastian said, Ryan saw Lydia lying in the bed beside him.
Dillon Range was half-asleep when he heard his brother stumble through the front door of the Range’s House, Fourwinds.
Downstairs in the cream entrance hall, Ryan took his shoes off “Do you want to stay the night?” he asked Sebastian, Sebastian nodded
“Yeah please” Sebastian replied, they both took off their shoes then walked up the cream carpeted stairs.
Chapter 5
Camilla and her Dad, Doctor Neil gathered in the kitchen of their home. Neil was at the table and Camilla was getting the orange juice out of the fridge “What do you mean Mum left. Why?” Neil tried to smile, but he couldn’t “I’m not going to lie to you Camilla, your Mother and I haven’t been happy in a long while, and we have been arguing a lot. I guess she thought that after our last argument that she didn’t want to live with me anymore. You know what your Mum’s like, once she’s made her mind up, nothing can stop her”.
Camilla gazed at her Dad as she poured orange juice into a glass, she put the carton back in the fridge and then she took the glass and walked over to the table. She then put her arms around her Dad “I understand, you know what, as long as I’ve got you, I don’t need her”,
Neil looked up into his daughter’s eyes “You will always have me, no matter what, because you’re my princess”
Camilla smiled, for once in a long time, she was actually happy.
Claudia sat in the lounge of her home, her Mum and Dad sat on the sofa opposite her “You’re getting divorced?” Claudia asked hysterically