2 The Bridlington - Stephanie Poppins

You're listening to S.

D.

Hudson Magic.

The Bridlington.

Written and performed by English author S.

D.

Hudson.

Episode 2 Hiding in the basement broom cupboard of the Bridlington was not something Emily Perklington Smythe usually considered part of her job description.

But it was worth it to see the look on her mother's face.

If she managed to avoid her ex-boyfriend,

Jefferson Bailey,

Before he left for his honeymoon,

Emily was home free.

And if hiding in the broom cupboard was what it took,

That is what she would do.

Then her mother would have to admit she was finally beaten.

Emily was bored.

She'd been waiting for Joe for at least an hour,

And it was dark and smelled of yesterday's bedclothes.

But she refused to be caught by Cunningham today.

Harold Cunningham was Lady Perklington Smythe's eyes and ears,

And he lived and breathed her every command.

He'd be the first to revel in Emily's downfall if he caught her skiving.

A week had passed since he'd delivered the news of the wedding.

He'd dropped it as subtly as one drops poison into a whiskey tumbler,

And walking away with a spring in his step,

Harold Cunningham had taken great pleasure in the thought of the problems Emily would now face.

No one in their right mind would wish to be partied to the wedding of their ex,

Least of all a privileged young woman who chose to go against her mother's best wishes and carve out the life she wanted,

Rather than marry the one who wouldn't take no for an answer.

Emily hated Cunningham that day,

More than she'd ever hated anyone.

Harold Hitler,

Her father,

Had named him.

Emily grimaced.

How could her parents have been so different?

The biggest joke her mother ever made was employing Cunningham in the first place.

As far as Emily was concerned,

The greater the distance she kept between them,

The better.

There was no way she would leave her job at the Bridlington,

Regardless of how her mother tried to sabotage her.

So hide in the broom cupboard she would,

Until Jo arrived with her disguise,

And she could go about her business unrecognized by everyone from her past.

If the plan worked,

They would remain unaware the richest girl in town was working at her mother's hotel,

And not living la vida loca like she told them she was.

Emily hated the thought of seeing anyone from the old crowd.

The life she'd chosen was so far removed from theirs.

Their days were steeped in who was wearing what,

Which car they would upgrade to next,

And which couple were most likely to have affairs.

Emily's days were spent listening to her guests' stories,

And working hard to make their well-earned stay as memorable as possible.

When Emily Perklington Smythe invested in other people,

She wasn't thinking about her own problems,

And she liked it that way.

Before she'd met James and Jo,

Emily had been very lonely.

It was impossible to relate to anyone she knew from old,

And her only known relative,

Her mother,

Might as well have hailed from another planet.

Her father was the only person she had ever really related to,

But he'd passed away seven summers before,

And each year that followed had seen her mother sink further and further into her cantankerous ways.

But Emily was happy at the Bridlington.

Making friends with a desk clerk and a bellboy had been the best thing she'd ever done.

She hated the thought of seeing Jeff again,

But thanks to her conniving mother,

He'd arrive at the Bridlington any moment,

And if he found out she was there,

He'd make a point of parading like a peacock,

Flashing his gaudy feathers in a vain attempt to show her what she was missing.

She couldn't have that.

She wouldn't have that.

Jeff had declared to anyone stupid enough to listen he was glad to move on after she refused his proposal of marriage,

But that was a downright lie.

He was as devastated as a child who'd lost their favourite toy.

But Emily was no toy,

And marriage was not a game to her.

She'd try to imagine what would happen if he caught her.

He'd probably say it was her mother's punishment for her foolish choices,

And declare he'd made a lucky escape.

Their once mutual friends would agree heartily,

Unaware he had secretly begged her to reconsider.

The very idea made Emily sick.

She shouldn't care what they thought about her,

But Emily had been trained since her very first breath to do just that.

And that training never really left you,

No matter how hard you tried.

She's always doing her own thing,

The girls of East Riding moaned when she joined their public school,

And within days Emily was dragged into their petty games.

After all,

Rich kids were expected to conform,

And Emily hailed from the richest family they knew.

But secretly she preferred time with her horses.

They didn't bitch and moan behind her back.

They offered stability and reassurance,

And it was much easier to understand what they wanted.

Emily was more at peace in the stables than she'd ever be with the social elite of East Riding.

She'd tried to do the right thing,

Of course,

But she was tired of the lengths Lady Perklington Smythe would go to to get her own way.

Hadn't she staged Emily's high school prom,

Dropped her off at parties she begged to be excluded from,

And manufactured dinner dates with unsuspecting men,

All in the name of progress?

Each time this happened,

Emily detached herself a little more.

Then,

Sensing her daughter's distrust,

Her mother came back a bit harder,

And now she'd allowed Jefferson Bailey to get married at the Bridlington,

Right under Emily's nose,

In a vain attempt to shame her and her humble choices.

The whole situation was pathetic.

Bailey had obviously got the most prestigious floor of the Bridlington for a song,

If her mother hadn't gifted it to him in the first place.

Once again,

Jeff had come up trumps.

He always came up trumps.

This was how you impressed your friends without having a penny to your name.

You used your connections.

And as he saw it,

Lady Perklington Smythe owed him,

Because she'd told him in no uncertain terms,

Emily was a sure thing.

Emily's mind wandered back to the day she refused him.

It started off just like any other morning at Mulberry Court,

Bleached,

Vacuumed and manicured.

Then,

When all was in place,

The midday sun streamed through the French windows to settle upon its daily floral masterpiece.

But this time,

There were other arrangements.

Gaudy,

Overt expressions of a love that must be shouted from the rooftops in order to be considered true.

That was Jefferson Bailey all over.

Have you ever heard the expression,

Less is more?

Emily asked,

When at last he showed his face.

That's for pauper's doll,

He'd smirked.

And I'm hardly that now,

Am I?

Well,

From what I just heard,

Said Emily to herself,

Not far from it.

It was no coincidence Jeff had pressed her to commit so soon.

Off record,

Her solicitor said the Bailey business was going into receivership and Jeff was headed for skid row.

In hindsight,

She should have felt sorry for him.

But Jefferson Bailey had crossed the line by plotting with her mother behind her back and there was no coming back from that.

The whole idea of marriage was ridiculous,

Really.

Their relationship had never been anything more than convenience.

Jeff was just someone to have around when Emily's invitations demanded plus one.

And she was someone to have around when Jeff needed to impress his friends.

She thought they had an agreement.

But her mother had been desperate to marry her off.

Then she could get on with her life and that tennis coach Emily was supposed to know nothing about.

She should be pleased Emily was out of the way now and working at the Bridlington.

But as her mother saw it,

Emily was demeaning the family name and she refused to reconcile with that.

According to Lady Perklington Smythe,

Women didn't work.

It just wasn't done.

But the last thing Emily would do was leave.

She was happy at the Bridlington and that is where she would stay until she'd had enough,

Whenever that might be.

If her father had been alive,

He would have allowed it.

But Lady Perklington Smythe was old school.

Never mind.

Emily was enjoying herself and with the help of James and Jo,

She'd get through the next 24 hours with no one the wiser.

Then her mother would get the message and stop trying to tell her what to do.

A hundred feet or so away in the dimly lit corridor,

Joseph Skinner was playing a game of cat and mouse with his unsuspecting assistant,

Louis.

He was well aware Emily was waiting for him but he couldn't rescue her just yet.

His day had started so well.

He successfully relieved an overprivileged wedding guest from their best wig and made a packet by his dodgy deals with the chef.

That put him in an excellent mood.

But now his new assistant had gone AWOL and to top it all,

Cunningham had him on his radar.

Jo didn't have long.

He should have listened to James.

His new assistant was trouble but what choice had he?

It was the summer season and the pool of temporary hotel assistants was nothing more than a mirage.

He tucked himself between an industrial pipe and the grey stone wall.

Louis should be in the foyer or on the wedding floor not down here with the domestics.

What was he up to?

From what Jo could see he was giving something to Bianca the housekeeper.

As far as Jo was aware Louis didn't know her to speak to let alone exchange things with and Bianca wasn't into shady deals was she?

To some of her she was as straight as a die but then you never really found out much about a person after just a couple of one night stands.

Louis,

He exclaimed jumping out from his hiding place I wonder where you were?

Louis's cheeks burned bright red.

I was just.

.

.

He began looking to the head housekeeper to cover for him Bianca wasn't about to implicate herself she needed this job.

Yeah well you can just up to floor 12 said Jo and don't let me catch you down here again.

Louis rushed off in embarrassment and Jo shook his head.

He should have kept a better eye on him but now he needed answers.

He turned to face Bianca You're going to be busy the next 24 hours he stated abruptly.

You haven't got time for this funny business hand it over whatever he gave you.

He watched Bianca's eyes drop to her feet she'd never put a foot wrong before so why did she look so guilty now?

Whatever it was he could see she had a lot to lose so he decided to leave it at that for now.

He didn't really want to upset her truth be known he rather liked her and anyway at the Bridlington the truth always came out in the end.

That was one of the benefits of running such a tight ship.

He rested his fingertips on her shoulder You're not going to let me down now are you?

Beneath her embarrassment Jo spotted a glimmer of a smile Of course not Jo Do you know what you're doing the next couple of days?

Yes she muttered weakly It's non-stop He softened even more her gentle Polish accent worked every time Well keep your eyes on the prize and stick to what you're good at there's a good girl There's plenty of tips to be made if you get this right and I don't need any problems in the next 24 hours OK?

Bianca switched on her doe eyes OK Jo,

Sorry Then she left her red pencil skirt twisting in time to the roar of the industrial pipes You still in there?

Jo looked suspiciously on the basement cupboard door He hoped Emily was still alive for all he knew this was the scariest thing little Miss Rich Girl had ever done Yes Jo,

I'm alive although it's getting rather hot in here Emily heaved open the door slowly blinking at the changing light You alright?

Stop looking at me as if I was going to faint said Emily Rich girls only do that in the old black and white films Jo smirked uncomfortably Emily had his number,

There was no doubt about that He offered her the long black wig he was holding as a peace offering a triumphant smile plastered over his face It's the best I could come up with said Emily,

Clearly understating the beauty of the thing Emily ran her fingers through its thick black mane It's wonderful Jo she gushed,

The best You've redeemed yourself now where on earth did you get it?

Ask no questions,

You'll get no lies Jo quipped,

Secretly relieved not to have offended her So Emily left it at that and ran off to the ladies to disguise herself She could rely on Jo He always came up trumps Back at reception,

James Brighton was holding the fort single handed His suit was crisp and his smile even crisper in preparation for the arrival of the first wedding guests These were the local elite the hoi polloi He'd been very good lately but with the best will in the world even James Brighton waned now and then Everyone here?

Where's Camilla?

Late again?

Oh Carabelle,

Why did you bring Nancy?

She'll only cause a farce And there she was standing at the front desk Jemima Charlson May the bride-to-be surrounded by a gaggle of over-excited young women and their harassed assistants No she won't!

Exclaimed a gaunt-looking creature to the right of her Anyway,

My drive is collecting her later and taking her to doggy daycare Do you like her bridesmaid's dress?

The bells of delight and declarations of how clever before Jemima decided it was time the spotlight was back on her Check in now,

Everyone check in James prepared himself behind the front desk Emily had told him about Jemima and her demands but he'd handled worse Jemima Puddle Duck,

Emily nicknamed her But money talked and from what Emily said Jefferson Bailey was penniless so right now Jemima Puddle Duck was the UK's answer to Marilyn Monroe Joe will take you to the bridal suite James declared firmly Please leave your luggage and we'll make sure you have everything you need Then he gifted her his signature wink for good measure But to his astonishment the bride-to-be wasn't having any of it I doubt that somehow,

She bit James shot her a hard stare What kind of wooden heart had she?

The woman had failed to succumb to his charms but no one failed to succumb to the charms of James Brighton OK,

Well perhaps she likes it like this then He said to himself Here at the Bridlington he answered in a cold voice We pride ourselves on our first class service so if you don't find everything you need I will be the first to know about it Jemima's entourage fell silent He was a man,

A ridiculously handsome man challenging Jemima in a way He had not seen her challenged before It took less than a second for her to wilt Then,

With one flick of his wrist James made sure Joe's new assistant was on the case before returning to the back office to check who came first in the Grand National Up on the floor reserved for the wedding party the corridor was a veritable cornucopia of frivolity As per Cunningham's wishes an extravagant arch of metallic gold and red balloons hung above the entrance Upon each antique console fully bloomed rose and gypsophilia suffocated in fistfuls of golden glitter And on each door,

Scarlet hearts hung with guests' names italicised in garish ink Any unsuspecting innocent unlucky enough to stumble upon this ghost display would quickly close their eyes and move on if they knew what was good for them Harold Cunningham,

However,

Was in his element Much to the disgust of Emily,

James and Joe he loved a show the gaudier the better And today he was so absorbed in the maintenance of its every detail he'd been forced to escape to his office early and change his sweaty shirt before anyone noticed Anyone but Emily and Joe,

That is This was their one chance to sabotage everything before he came back One by one labels were lost,

Balloons burst and almost every available decoration compromised That would keep Cunningham busy for a while and the new improved Emily would then be safe in the back office away from prying eyes James checked the CCTV at the front desk It was off Good He checked your injury Delaware was leaving for Chucky's daily constitutional Good Any hour that old bag was out of the way was a good hour She'd already tried more than once to catch his attention that morning obviously to grill him about his new black haired assistant But never mind Jefferson Bailey had just arrived That was as good a reason as any to ignore her Mr Bailey,

Welcome As the groom-to-be strode across the marble floor everyone under the age of 40 turned to stare Jefferson Bailey was a head-turner instantly recognisable from the flyers covering every beachfront hoarding He loved every minute of it and by the looks of his designer tracksuit he lived and breathed the lifestyle that people expected from a celebrity DJ Morning James James,

He replied with a bleached white smile James smiled back Jeff had registered his name tag without so much as a blink Hmm,

There were no flies on him But this was not quite what James had been expecting Bailey looked as Emily had described him Yes But there was something else Something James couldn't quite put his finger on He watched in fascination as Jefferson Bailey loosened the grip on his Gucci bags His bright eyes caught the light as the bags dropped to the floor with a thump Then,

In a grand gesture he turned on his heel and headed straight for the bar the logo on his back dancing as he moved Now I get it,

James said to himself Well,

Well Wonders will never cease As Bailey's guests trailed after him James indulged in a soft chuckle That's one in the bank he said to himself Never know when I might need that Then he returned to the back office in the next race They'll be busy for a while he reassured himself dressed in beer goggles for the foreseeable no doubt and with any luck they'll stay that way till they leave then we can all relax And James was right That afternoon,

He,

Emily and Joe the self-proclaimed triangle of trust had the time of their lives If any one of them was seen in Cunningham's vicinity they'd lose a pound That was the game Joe was already down 20 but he was fine with that as he'd made a packet selling off the extra wedding food Shefford gifted him Tonight,

The drinks were on him next door Things were definitely on the up The hours wore on uneventful away from prying eyes There was no wedding guest sober enough to spot her or even care but the staff were another matter J-Tin,

The new concierge was far more efficient than she'd expected him to be It was annoying As handsome a distraction as he was Emily could well do without it today But it seemed like every five minutes She was at the front desk with another query Stay there,

Said James as Emily checked the mirror How do I look?

Too hard,

James replied You need something softer Long curls suit your sweet face Not straight black tresses Thanks,

James,

Emily beamed Especially with all that makeup on James quipped,

Now watch out,

Another boy's here I'll see if I can get rid of him J-Tin,

How are you getting on?

James sang as he sailed out of the back office towards the front desk Great,

The concierge replied Although I'm a bit confused James met his comment with as much patience as he could muster J-Tin wasn't stupid,

So he'd better think fast if he wanted to get rid Me too,

He said conspiratorially gesturing to where Emily stood with her back to him That new assistant's driving me mad New assistant,

J-Tin grinned She looks familiar,

Though Yeah,

James snapped back Well,

As long as she covers Emily's work she can be as familiar as she likes He shot J-Tin a collusive grin Would it work?

Nothing J-Tin's poker face was better than his and that was saying something J-Tin,

Meanwhile,

Continued to play along Emily was worth it When they'd first met,

Ten days before He'd been struck by her unusually innocent expression She was different to anyone else he'd met Her sweet smile reminded him of the mountains he frequented as a child No wig in the world could disguise that She's away then,

Emily?

He asked in a throwaway voice Yes,

Off sick,

James said curtly Shame Shame I was looking forward to taking her for coffee Emily's fists clenched She could have kicked herself Never mind,

Plenty more fish in the sea J-Tin continued as he walked away Then,

Thinking better of it he turned back He didn't want Emily to think he was stupid now,

Did he?

Anyway,

I think you'll be all right,

James he offered lightly With that new girl,

I mean What is it they say?

A change is as good as a rest?

Pity,

Though I think I prefer her blonde Emily cringed But there was no time to think about that now All at once,

There was Jefferson Bailey They wore very tight clothes Looking like the cats that had got the cream They moved with a kind of feline grace Tall and angular But their eyes were lacklustre Dull,

Even I wonder what Emily would make of this said one Not that she ever set foot in here Anyway Abroad,

I hear,

Replied the other Not that she's missed,

Is she,

Jefferson?

What do you think of it so far?

Oh,

It's a nice venue But whose idea was red and gold?

Isn't Chinese New Year in January?

They all laughed at this A little less Ritz-Carlton A little less Blackpool Pier,

Jeff said in a drunken mumble Go big or go home,

Isn't that right,

Babe?

Said the first girl,

Her arm around his shoulder And as Jeffrey walked off distracted she said to her friend I hope Jemima knows what she's letting herself in for I think she'll take whatever she can get said girl number two It's a bit of a comedown,

Though,

Isn't it?

Emily to Grace I wonder what happened there That Emily,

She was always odd He's well out of it Emily turned to face them without thinking How dare they But instead of recognising her they shuffled off to the powder rooms in a drunken huddle From across the other side of the lobby he stared intently No,

It can't be he declared in a drunken outburst Emily James rushed out from behind the desk and strode towards him Mr Bailey,

Let me reunite you with your party But Jefferson Bailey was having none of it I need to speak to that girl over there I need to speak to that girl over there I know her,

Emily Oh God,

What have I done?

Said Emily to herself But James was no longer concerned He had a secret weapon and he was about to use it Don't worry,

Em,

I've got this he called Then he turned back to Jeff to make him an offer Emily and Joe sat in the chapel bar mulling over the day just passed She was out of danger now Tomorrow the wedding would finish as quickly as it began and everyone else would be far too busy to notice her Jefferson Bailey would make sure of that What on earth's happened to James?

Emily asked Joe He should be here by now I've got some auto check-ins on so he's good to go You know James,

Joe replied He'll get here when he gets here And sure enough,

James waltzed in moments later Only this time with a little less spring in his step Only this time with a little less spring in his step Double Jamesons Em On the rocks if you would,

He sighed Shocked at such a change in demeanour Emily did the honours quickly as James settled himself in a saddleback chair What's up?

Said Joe You look like you lost a pound and found a penny He regretted his words almost immediately for that was exactly what James had done How much?

I thought you were on a break James shot him a vicious look What are you,

My father?

Joe smarted at this You always look out for me That's different Why is it different?

James knew by the look on Joe's face he'd offended him But he wasn't in the mood to rehash the whole sorry affair So he left it at that But Joe wasn't one to let things go that easily Look,

Emily's just been served he persisted,

She's on her way back Quick He slid a wad of notes across the table I got lucky today,

Let's leave it at that,

Shall we?

Now what's all this about Bailey backing off?

He said loudly,

Pulling Emily into the conversation And underneath the table James took the money without looking As if somehow that would make the whole thing go away My gaydar's never failed me yet he declared boldly It burned radioactive the moment I caught Jefferson Bailey sashaying across the lobby Emily had a lucky escape with that one He won't be spilling the beans about you any time soon will he,

Em?

Let's just say we've got a gentleman's agreement on that Emily smiled But Joe was shocked You alright with that,

Em?

You bet,

She said I took no time at all in phoning my mum and letting her know the happy news They all laughed at this But what they didn't know was Lady Perkington's smide was so furious with her daughter for coming up trumps again She reluctantly agreed Emily could have her way and stay at the Bridlington but only if she kept an eye on the staff and reported back to her regularly That's my price,

She had said coldly And if you know what's good for you,

Emily that is what you will pay