Episode 1.2
Written by Ann McManus, Maureen Chadwick & Liz Lake
Produced by Brian Park
Directed by Sheree Folkson
Their millions burnt to a cinder following the mysterious fire, Ellie, Hannah, Shoo and Josie face the harsh reality that their Barbados dream is all but over. With Sadie out of hospital, Ann Marie wants to put her mother into a home but she’s having none of it – she insists she’d rather be the sitting tenant in the Hope Springs Hotel. But the girls aren’t exactly welcoming; convinced she’s responsible for their financial strife. While Shoo is all for throwing the “old cow” out, Hannah and Ellie are trying to focus on the practicalities of their situation – i.e. how to run a hotel when you’re down to your last barrel of beer and the electricity is about to be cut off. Hannah suggests that they should take advantage of their ‘legit’ status to apply for a business loan. Ellie thinks it’s a brilliant idea, unsurprisingly, Shoo thinks they’re both nuts...
Euan berates Ann Marie for not taking proper advantage of Sadie’s stay in hospital. He’s still desperate to buy the hotel – and willing to pay Ann Marie a hefty commission for her assistance – but insists on taking vacant possession: nothing else will do. Ann Marie needs Euan’s cash for the new life she’s planning for her and Gil in Edinburgh, but with the girls in possession of the hotel and Sadie still refusing to budge, it doesn’t look like she’ll be going anywhere. She can’t wait to get away from Hope Springs, and Euan. He pretends to be hurt by her attitude and reminds her that there’s a chance it could be his child she’s carrying, not Gil’s. Meanwhile, back down south, Roy’s henchman Marius is now working his way through a list of the women Ellie did time with. He pays a visit to Shoo’s ex-boyfriend, Nathan, and to Hannah’s ex-husband.
Taking money matters into her own hands, Shoo persuades Josie to help her rob the local bookies. However, before they can put their ill-conceived plan into action Gil arrives. When Josie sees Gil lead Shoo out of the bookies she assumes her friend is under arrest and calls Ellie who’s furious that Shoo has needlessly drawn attention to the gang. There’s more bad news when the bank refuse to part with any cash without seeing a business plan for the hotel. Now broke and desperate, it seems that their only option is to rob Sadie of the cash they paid her and pray that she doesn’t notice it’s missing from its hiding place inside her mattress. Although they’re now solvent again, there’s a growing rift between the girls. Shoo decides to take her cut of Sadie’s money and run, but Josie and Hannah aren’t quite so keen to leave Hope Springs and Ellie behind.
Sick of Shoo’s hostility and feeling decidedly unwelcome at the hotel, Sadie has decided to find some alternative accommodation. She returns to the hotel on a high and stuns the girls with news of the luxury new flat she’s just set her sights on – she’s signed on the dotted line and now only needs to put down her cash deposit. The girls now have to find a way to stop her before she discovers her money’s missing. Luckily for them, Sadie is someone who is very easy to distract. While Josie breaks out the champagne, Hannah heads down to the shop to buy a disposable camera...
Euan’s over the moon when Sadie phones him with news of her purchase. Anne Marie less so: Sadie has just blown her inheritance and deprived her of Euan’s commission! Back at the hotel, the girls get Sadie drunk. Ellie then goes to visit the salesman at the luxury development and shows him a photograph of her senile and alcoholic “mother”. He tears up Sadie’s contract and then phones her to tell her she’s been ‘gazumped’. Despite Ann Marie’s best efforts to persuade her otherwise, Sadie takes Ellie up on her offer to stay at the hotel. She also offers to pay her way by returning the cash the girls paid her. Ellie only just stops her going to get it and tells her to leave it where it is – they don’t need her money!
After leaving Hope Springs behind, Shoo uses a borrowed mobile phone to call Nathan. She had planned to catch the first train back down to London, but he persuades her to head for Glasgow and book herself into a hotel – he’ll make his way to her instead. Ensconced in a luxury hotel, Shoo’s in her element... more so when Nathan turns up and shows every sign of wanting to rekindle their romance. However, after she discovers his plans to rob her, she knocks him out and makes a hasty return to Hope Springs. But an ex-boyfriend with a sore head is a dangerous thing and, unbeknownst to the women, Nathan’s about to give Marius the lead he’s been waiting for...