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.
The Bridlington.
A series set in an English hotel.
Written and performed by Stephanie Poppins.
Episode 21 James Brighton rubbed his hands together in the hope his winning streak would continue.
The chips had fallen his way again,
A satisfying cascade of red and black that made his pulse quicken and his cheeks flush.
This was his third win in two hours.
Perhaps his luck was finally turning.
Perhaps there was a way out of this suffocating debt after all.
He gathered the chips with trembling fingers,
Calculating frantically.
If he could just keep this streak going,
If fortune continued to smile on him,
He might actually have a chance to get away from Constance,
Delaware once and for all.
Well,
Well,
Look who's back in the big leagues.
Dakota's voice cut through his optimism like a blade.
She was sidling up to him,
Her smile as sharp as broken glass.
I heard about your little demotion,
James.
From front of house to Delaware's errand boy,
How the mighty have fallen.
James felt his jaw clench.
Just place your bet,
Dakota,
And cut the sweet talk.
You know it's wasted on me.
He wanted to throw her drink in her face,
But the last thing he would do was let her see that.
But Dakota's response was cruel.
Tell me,
Does fetching her morning coffee come with a pension plan?
James's hand moved towards the whiskey tumbler at his elbow,
Almost without conscious thought.
The amber liquid burned down his throat,
But it couldn't wash away the bitter taste of humiliation.
Then one drink became two,
Three,
And so on as Dakota's jibes continued and his winning streak crumbled along with his sobriety.
All the while,
Benny,
Watching from the corner.
He knew her eyes had not left him,
But he didn't care anymore.
He had bigger fish to fry.
He had to get rid of Dakota.
She was on a mission.
If it wasn't for him,
She might have stood a chance for J.
Tin,
She reckoned.
There was nothing quite like a delusional,
Love-struck employee.
But then he was hardly one to talk,
Was he?
The next morning brought fresh indignities.
It was as if Delaware could sniff out humiliation like a dog at border control.
There was no stopping her now.
She was clearly enjoying herself.
Collecting dry cleaning,
Organising her appointments,
Walking Chucky around the hotel grounds whilst he yapped constantly,
Were all part and parcel of James's morning,
Much to his disgust.
Shut up,
Chucky,
He muttered,
Tugging the leash as he returned to the hotel's upper floors.
Mrs.
Delaware's sweet door was ajar when he arrived.
He tapped once and pushed aside the door as Chucky broke free and ran for his water bowl.
He reached for the clip on the leash when a sudden movement caught his eye.
There was Petra Petrovski,
Emerging from the sitting room,
An elegant coat draped over one arm.
Bianca,
Or should I say Petra?
She nodded curtly at him,
Her face an unreadable mask.
Then she swept past without a word.
The door closed behind her with a soft click,
Echoed in the sudden silence.
Then Mrs.
Delaware appeared,
As if aware of his confusion.
James,
Rub Chucky down,
Will you?
James did as he was told and considered what he'd just seen.
Why would Petra Petrovski be in Delaware's room?
And what was she doing with such an expensive-looking coat,
One there was no way she would be able to afford?
Perhaps it was a gift from her father.
Who knew?
But then why would she work at the hotel,
If she could afford such luxuries?
There is more to her than met the eye,
He considered.
But Joe had never said anything about her,
Had he?
As he watched,
Constance Delaware opened the safe and slipped what looked like a thick envelope inside.
Then the metal door swung shut with a decisive clang.
Petra seemed in a hurry,
James ventured,
His pulse quickening.
Seems like you've got two slaves,
Not just one.
Delaware pulled a strange face,
But James's attention had already shifted to the coffee table,
Where an elaborate crystal bowl sat filled with something that made his blood run cold.
Small dark spheres glistened like black pearls,
In tiny jars stacked one on top of the other.
It was Beluga caviar.
The same stuff Joe had brought from the Petrovskys.
It pays to have friends in high places,
He said.
The words came out harder than he'd intended,
But he owed Delaware nothing.
And her smile faltered for a moment.
Pardon?
The envelope,
Petra,
The caviar.
What kind of business arrangement do you have with the Petrovskys?
I've no idea what you mean,
James,
And if you've forgotten,
You are still in my debt,
So I thank you not to ask ridiculous questions.
You are here to do a job.
Once you've fed Chucky,
You may leave.
James moved to the cupboard where the dog food was kept,
And considered carefully.
Must be a payment plan of some sorts.
She's definitely got dealings with them.
Maybe they're tied into this extortion racket too.
How's Louis doing?
He turned and stared straight into her eyes.
He's fine,
As far as I know.
Obviously,
I wouldn't stoop so low to visit him in that awful place he's incarcerated in.
But he'll be out soon enough,
Then we'll be back to normal.
James felt something cold settle in his stomach.
Why hadn't he seen it before?
The Petrovskys.
Petra was placed in the hotel to do their dirty work for them.
To infiltrate the extortion racket Delaware had going,
And make even more money on the side.
There was no way she was reliant on her paltry housekeeper's wage.
She didn't need this job.
This was all part of the plan.
And what about the stabbing?
They must have known about the paintings.
Although he had heard that Cunningham was well implicated in that.
But there was no way he would have stabbed anyone,
Least of all a man mountain like Chef.
And everyone knew if you wanted to hire heavies,
Mikhail Petrovsky was the one to ask.
It all began to make sense.
But why hadn't Joe said anything about Petra before?
He just said she'd been untrustworthy,
And they'd gradually drifted apart.
He had to speak to him,
Immediately,
And find out exactly what he knew.
Whatever happened,
He was committed to making someone pay for what had happened to Chef.
Come what may.
Not long after,
James found Joe in the lobby,
Making a small inventory of the various supplies,
With the grim efficiency of a man trying to avoid his own thoughts.
Did you know,
James's voice was unapologetic.
He was furious.
Joe looked up,
His face carefully neutral.
Know what?
That she was caught up in this,
Delaware and the Petrovskys.
Caught up in what?
James slammed his palm against the marble column nearby.
That your former girlfriend,
Petra,
Was involved in the extortion racket and the theft of the San Juan sunscape.
You knew all this time,
Didn't you?
Well,
I wasn't really that sure.
You weren't that sure?
Chef was stabbed,
And there was no way Cunningham would have done that.
I wanted to say something,
James.
I really did.
I've had my doubts,
But I didn't actually know.
I even spoke to Petra about it,
But she's not giving up anything.
Do you think anything I had to say would have helped in any way at all?
James stared in disbelief at his friend.
At that moment,
He looked like a stranger.
The old Joe would have said something.
So what's going on?
He's back on with her,
Is it?
No,
Not at all.
I've avoided her since I came back,
And pretty much she's avoided me.
I've spoken to Emily about it more than once.
The girl needs to go.
As long as she stays here,
There's links to that family,
And that's trouble for all of us.
Yeah,
You think so?
Cunningham hired the Petrovsky thugs to do his dirty work.
I've no doubt about that.
And now,
Joe,
We're going to have to work out a way to get our revenge.
Oh,
Come on,
James.
You can't be messing with a family like the Petrovskys.
Oh,
Can't I?
You just watch me.
Only moments later,
James caught up with Emily in the back office.
We need to talk,
He said,
Closing the door behind him.
What's happened now?
It's about your mum.
Turns out she's got some friends in very low places.
The Petrovskys,
In fact.
Emily's pen slipped from her fingers,
And there's me thinking it couldn't get any worse.
She smiled,
Her soft curls bouncing as she shook her head.
James couldn't help but be impressed at her ability to stay calm at such awful news.
They're connected to what happened to Chef,
He continued.
And your mother's taking money from them,
Probably,
In exchange for God knows what kind of favours.
He sat heavily into one of the chairs,
And Emily's face turned white.
This is not good news.
No,
It's not,
James agreed.
Money attracts money.
You've got to tell your Uncle Tom.
He has a right to know.
He is a major shareholder.
This means she's got a lot more power than I gave her credit for.
Both you and your Uncle are under threat.
If the Petrovskys are willing to go round knifing people for cold hard cash,
God knows what they'll do if they feel cornered.
And you having a major share in this place,
And having a casting vote in what goes on,
Is going to make them feel cornered.
Emily turned towards the window,
Her reflection ghostly in the glass.
The weight of impossible choices seemed to settle on her shoulders like a shroud.
You're right.
So now what am I going to do?
