10 The Bridlington - Original Story By Stephanie Poppins

Hello and welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,

A romantic bedtime podcast guaranteed to help you drift off into a calm and restful sleep.

Come with me as we travel into the heart of the Bridlington Hotel,

The most prestigious enterprise on the coast of East Riding.

Meet the characters as they go about their everyday lives,

Albeit amongst scandal and intrigue.

Not a day goes past at the Bridlington without something happening.

But before we begin,

Let's take a moment to focus on where we are now.

Take a deep breath in through your nose.

That's it.

Then let it out on a long sigh.

It is time to relax and fully let go.

There is nothing you need to be doing and nowhere you need to go.

This is your time.

Feel your shoulders melt away from your ears.

Feel the pressure seep away from your cheeks.

And let all the muscles in your face relax.

As you sink into the support beneath you,

Let the pressures of the day seep away.

Happy listening.

The Bridlington A series set in an English hotel.

Written and performed by Stephanie Poppins Episode 10 Hiding in the hallway to Mrs.

Delaware's walk-through lounge,

Joseph Skinner wondered how he'd ever stooped so low.

Lining the walls were priceless works of art,

And through the windows he could see the ornamental Japanese gardens.

But these were not his.

And if he carried on the way he was going,

And if he carried on the way he was going,

He would never achieve anything approaching this luxurious for himself.

Joseph Skinner was an ambitious man,

And the mark of success as he understood it was where he ended up compared to where he'd begun.

It wouldn't take much to move beyond that.

As a child,

He'd moved with his family from London to Southmore Hill,

The worst estate on the coast of East Riding.

The only way from that was up.

But where exactly was he now?

Hobnobbing with the likes of the local mafia,

Those who would lie and cheat to get what they wanted,

Regardless of the collateral damage.

He was supposed to be moving up in the world.

How far he had sunk.

Room 216 was the perfect reminder of just how far removed he was from anywhere he wanted to be.

There would be no plush furnishings and no fancy pad for him unless he extricated himself from the situation he was now in.

Doing Mikhail Petrovsky's dirty work would not give him stability.

Only sleepless nights and a lifetime of looking over his shoulder.

At the Bridlington he might only have been the bellboy,

But at the tender age of 22 he already had his foot in the door.

That was practically unheard of for anyone of his ilk,

So people said.

But with hard work he would have been promoted in no time.

How he wished he was still there in the lobby working with his mates,

James and Emily.

It had all seemed so great at first,

Wheeling and dealing for the likes of Mikhail Petrovsky,

But he hadn't factored in threatening old ladies.

James had warned him about getting in with that family,

And he was right.

The father was bad enough,

But after what Joe just overheard,

His daughter Petra was even worse.

But how could that be?

Only seconds before he'd overheard her accepting what sounded like the proceeds of something way beyond any average gratuity,

And now he'd lost all faith in her.

That's your cut,

Said Delaware as she handed Petra a wad of notes.

Keep this up dear,

You're doing well.

Then scrutinising Petra's other work,

She added,

And that reminds me,

I must have that table polished properly.

There were smears last time you did it.

Before leaving for the bedroom,

Where Chucky was waiting to be dressed for the great outdoors.

Joe was astounded.

Having returned to the hotel for the second time in as many days,

He had his suspicions something was going on between the two of them,

By the amount of time he'd seen Petra spend in room 216.

But now he knew this arrangement was as far from straightforward as he first thought it was.

This wasn't just favouritism on Delaware's part.

Petra was not her pet.

In some twisted way,

She'd become her partner in crime.

But how could that be?

Petra,

He hissed,

Sneaking into the main living area when the clues was clear.

Joe,

She hissed back.

What are you doing here?

But her face remained neutral.

Petra Petrovsky never gave anything away.

Joe's being there didn't concern her in the least,

Even though she realised he'd probably seen her taking handouts from the very person who had once taken them from her.

I've come at the request of your dad,

Said Joe incredulously.

I thought you knew why I'm here.

I've been sent to do a job.

His voice trailed off.

Unlike his girlfriend,

Joseph Skinner was not good at hiding his emotions.

But at this point,

He did not want to compromise himself further by letting her see that.

A job,

Petra asked.

Joe watched her face in disbelief.

She really didn't know he was coming.

So what was going on between her and Delaware then?

He thought hard.

She was obviously getting kickbacks.

Okay,

That must mean the extortion racket was still going on.

But this time she herself was part of it.

What on earth?

This was unbelievable.

And why hadn't she known about her father's plans to take everything from the safe?

He obviously had no idea of what she was doing on the side.

It seemed the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Joe pulled Petra back into the hallway.

I'm here to retrieve your dad's money from the safe.

He paused to see her reaction and her eyes said it all.

His money?

Then she shrugged him off impatiently,

Annoyed at herself for giving anything away.

This was her own stupid fault.

Hadn't she told her father just how rich Delaware was?

Hadn't she complained about how much money she had and how rude she was to her?

But why hadn't her father let her in on it?

Now she would lose all her extra income too.

Yeah,

Said Joe,

It's your father's money.

Then without even thinking,

Petra switched it up a notch to make sure he was convinced.

I had no idea,

She said softly through innocent eyes.

I've been helping her out and now he's going to do this?

Joe almost bought it,

But he knew Constance Delaware from old and it struck him odd that she would just hand over significant amounts of money to anyone that she would consider so insignificant unless it really benefited her.

This was obviously just another one of Petra's lies.

You won't say anything,

Will you,

Joe,

About the help she gave me,

I mean?

Joe looked at the girl he'd fallen for all those months ago.

He desperately wanted to make things better like he always did.

He wanted to believe this wasn't true,

That the girl he thought he loved could possibly be in cahoots with the one person she said had caused her so much misery.

Petra had seemed so vulnerable to him at first.

Then little by little she detached herself,

Making excuses as to why she was too busy to see him and why her father shouldn't see them together too much.

But in reality,

She wasn't a victim at all.

She'd been lying to him all this time.

That's just the way she is,

Joe guessed,

Yet try as he might he couldn't bring himself to be angry with her.

Heaven knows,

He said to himself.

Surviving's ugly at the best of times.

Maybe she wants out of her father's control.

No,

I won't say anything,

He agreed at length.

Now we'd better get back in,

I've got a job to do.

Your dad wants this done,

So stay out of my way.

And he went back into the main living area to finish what he'd begun.

Taking money from an old woman would usually have been beneath him,

But Joe reassured himself Delaware was a tyrant who had not only stolen money from the staff,

But also landed her own grandson in jail.

As much as Lewis was lazy and unwilling to do anything but the bare minimum,

Joe knew he wouldn't have thought up an extortion racket all by himself,

Much less carried it out without encouragement.

Anyway,

Once this was done,

Mikhail Petrovsky would be satisfied and let him go his own way.

It was time to leave the Petrovsky family behind,

He decided.

And that meant all of them.

Mrs.

Delaware,

He declared coldly as she returned with Chucky training behind her in his new fur-lined poncho.

Remember me?

I'm a friend of your grandson,

Lewis.

Lewis?

Mrs.

Delaware feigned frailty as she tugged unusually hard at her dog's collar,

Making him yelp.

Sit down,

Chucky.

Then a fleeting glimpse of disturbance passed across her face.

This dame,

Joe said to himself,

Is obviously no stranger to uncomfortable situations,

Old or not.

And may I ask why do you see fit to enter my sweet,

Uninvited young man?

She sniked quickly.

The fact you know my grandson is neither here nor there.

Then she turned her glare on Petra.

Did you let him in?

But Petra Petrovsky had heard nothing at all.

She was too busy cleaning.

The new ear buds Joe had gifted her the day before pushed in as far as they would go.

Much to the relief of Emily Perklington Smythe,

Lunchtime service in the Orangery was looking quieter than usual.

The majority of guests were now out on the promenade,

Catching the fresh air or enjoying the local sights.

How beautiful that award-winning North Beach was as it hugged the picturesque Bridlington Harbour.

How refreshing were the coloured chalets bordering its long sandy stretch.

But Emily had other things on her mind.

Ever since Mr Pritchard's visit,

She'd been plagued with vivid dreams wherein she lost everything to her cantankerous mother and that sad excuse for a living lover.

Emily just couldn't get over the fact she'd seemed fit to contest what was rightfully hers.

They'd always had a difficult relationship,

But she never thought her mother would stoop so low as to cut her off completely.

It wasn't as though she even wanted the lion's share of a hotel.

The Bridlington and its aging board of directors was nothing but a hassle to her,

She said.

But Lady Perklington Smythe was a proud woman,

And as she saw it,

No one would have her over.

Not that Lord Smythe had left her wanting for anything.

She had all she could possibly want.

The house,

The properties abroad,

The horses.

But that just wasn't enough,

Was it?

She had to have her own flesh and blood at her mercy,

Otherwise she would never be happy.

Emily bit her lip and gazed at the stunning lobby she called home.

Yes,

There were cut-glass chandeliers,

And there were studded chesterfields.

But that wasn't it.

Luxury was all she'd ever known.

It was the people that made it home.

The smiles and the genuine kindness she'd experienced ever since word got out about who she really was.

The most unexpected staff had approached her,

Saying she was a great part of the team,

And they respected the fact she wanted anonymity,

After what James said her mother put her through.

Everyone knew Emily had mucked in with the rest of them ever since she arrived,

And they liked her the better for it.

At times it had been really tough,

But they respected the fact Emily Perklington Smythe never shirked her responsibilities,

And in fact often made their lives much easier.

Maybe,

Emily considered,

As Cunningham said,

Some of them were just looking to get on my right side,

But the majority of them seemed much the same as they were before.

To think I'd spent so long worrying about that.

To think Mother had that hold over me all this time.

It's all just one big game to her.

I'm nothing more than a puppet who's made to dance every time she tucks my strings.

And she was right.

Lady Perklington Smythe had always known she'd do anything to prevent her daughter inheriting.

Since that meeting with Pritchard,

She'd even stopped Emily getting paid.

But Emily didn't let that shake her,

Not one bit.

She had decided to fight her mother until the end.

She owed that,

She thought,

To the memory of her long-suffering father.

Ever since she said goodbye to him,

She'd look forward to the moment she turned thirty,

And could do his memory justice.

That had been her lifeline through the tumultuous years since.

But how would she cope now?

It was no use,

There was only one thing to do.

It wasn't going to be easy.

In fact,

It probably would be the hardest thing she'd ever done.

But so be it.

From across the long desk,

James watched her frown as it got deeper and deeper.

Then he straightened up from behind his reservation screen and said,

Em,

What did that suit say the other day?

I forgot to ask you.

Emily cringed secretly.

She'd known this moment would catch up with her sooner or later,

But being surrounded by hotel inspectors for the last forty-eight hours meant she had a bit of breathing space.

Not any more.

Not good news,

I take it,

Then?

James continued to pry.

Mother's at it again,

Emily answered.

She wanted to leave things as cryptic as she could.

She didn't want to go into it any more.

She'd had enough of that woman living in her head,

Rent-free.

But I'm not going down without a fight.

She's making things difficult,

Then.

Yeah,

But I've got a plan up my sleeve.

Right,

Said James,

Unwilling to push too much.

Emily was looking more exhausted than he'd ever seen her,

And that wasn't down to lack of sleep.

What are you going to do?

There's only one thing I can do,

Emily replied,

Pulling out her brightest lipstick from her handbag.

I'm going to speak to Uncle Tom.

Er,

Okay.

Haven't heard of him before,

Replied James.

Judging by the look on your face,

There's a reason for that.

Emily shot him a wry smile.

Nothing escapes you,

Does it?

He cut me and my father out of his life the year before Dad died.

Then,

Changing the subject,

She said,

Have you heard from Joe?

James sighed.

Like Emily,

He'd been avoiding a conversation,

And this was it.

But she wanted answers just as much as he did.

James?

Emily shocked in one of her tell-me-the-truth stares.

Life for her was so much worse than life for James right now,

And anything was better than dragging up the Smythe saga.

Besides which,

She'd been worried about how Joe was coping,

Now that he was working for the Petrovskys.

Things were hard enough for him at the best of times.

He'd told them more than once his Briddington wage was the only thing holding his family together.

Now he didn't even have that.

I reckon he's avoiding us,

Answered James.

Why?

Emily wasn't stupid.

James's reluctance to answer spoke volumes.

It's me,

Isn't it?

He's avoiding me.

No reply.

I'm just the same person I was before everyone knew,

Said Emily.

What does he think I'm going to do,

Turn into some brow-beating maniac who summons Cunningham to do her dirty work?

Her temperature was rising now,

But she made no attempt to control it.

Emily Perklington Smythe is no different from Emily Croft,

And anyway,

I'm not anywhere near 30 yet.

I'm just plain old Emily at reception as far as everyone else is concerned.

I saw him about this morning,

Added James quickly.

I'll text him now and arrange to meet later and have this out.

I get the feeling it's not just about you,

Em.

He's got something to hide,

I reckon.

He's never ghosted us before.

Then he put his hand on Emily's arm.

And whatever's going on with you,

I'm here for it,

OK?

And so is Joe.

He's just in a bit of a rough spot,

That's all.

We're still the triangle of trust,

Remember?

Then he made a fake salute and smiled,

His classic Brighton smile,

The one that melted hearts.

It worked.

Emily softened immediately and leant on him for a second while they looked over to the orange tree,

Where Constance Delaware appeared more than flustered.

This made them both smirk.

Long gone were the days when James would fetch and carry for her.

That old woman was on her own now,

A conniving,

Homophobic witch,

James called her.

And Emily now agreed.

Any friend of her mother's was no friend of hers.

She hated the fact Delaware was still allowed to stay at the Bridlington after all the problems she'd caused.

If she had her way,

The woman would be long gone.

Oh well,

That was something else to pray for,

Wasn't it?

Look at dumb Delaware,

James sighed.

She looks like she's lost a pound and found a penny.

How the mighty have fallen.

Emily chuckled.

Serve her right.

If I ever get any say in this place,

That witch will be ancient history.

Then she left for the coffee machine,

While James stood dumbstruck.

So it was an if now,

Was it?

As well as losing J-10,

Emily might lose the Bridlington?

Jesus,

He said to himself,

I knew things were bad,

But this is another level.

Meanwhile,

Emily poured herself a large cappuccino.

If it didn't work out with Uncle Tom,

She'd have to go to the police and expose her mother for what she really was,

A fraud and a thief.

That would put a stop to her.

But taking her down was not something Emily would find easy to do.

If Lady Perklington's smize went down,

The Bridlington went down with her.

The story would no longer be a rogue employee creating havoc.

It would be the Bridlington is owned by liars and thieves.

Could she do it?

This place was in her blood.

She hated the idea of seeing everything her father achieved dragged through the mud.

She could just see the headlines now.

Bridlington's baby in five star scam.

Perklington smi the weight sentencing as the community reels in shock.

And then they would question,

Was Emily planted inside to cover up the extortion racket?

Or she made to take the fall for a much bigger scam?

Read about how we exposed Emily Perklington smithe here.

If there was one thing Emily knew well,

It was the power of gossip.

And gossip among the leisure classes was so much worse.

She'd be hung,

Drawn and quartered before the six o'clock headlines.

Then what would she do?

And where would she go?

Not so long ago,

She'd been dreaming of a future with J.

Tin.

She had this crazy notion that one day they might just turn out to be the face of the new and improved Bridlington.

That concept at the cutting edge of hotelry,

Offering in-room devices with a virtual concierge to provide personalized surf days,

Sea fishing,

Boat trips.

The list was endless.

But now this.

If Lady P got her way,

There would be no inheritance,

No job,

And no way of getting J.

Tin back.

Things were looking bleak.

Long gone was the sunseeing satisfaction.

Life was just another string of threats.

And the biggest threat of all was that she would lose everything her father had promised her.