EPISODE 95
Written by : Bre L. Drew
September 14th, 2020
Last Time On Town and Country
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Martha had an idea to find out who wrote the letter to their late grandfather detailing his sordid affair.
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Tanner, Aaliyah, and Elijah all moved into their dorm rooms on the campus of Sampson University.
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Sarah Lynn decided to give therapy one more try.
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Tricia asked Courtney to be her Maid Of Honor, which Courtney accepted.
ESTHER SAUNDERS STABLES
Steven Sullivan parks his GMC Canyon truck into the lot of his mother's equestrian facility. He gets out of the vehicle in which the late summer heat isn't letting go despite the change of the month. He sees his cousin Martha Saunders a few spots down in the lot getting out of her F-150. The two instantly lock eyes before they stop in front of the small ranch house that serves as the main office.
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"How upset you think my mother is going to be when she finds out her father was having an affair?" Steven asks rhetorically
Martha scoffs. "She is going to be pissed, but she is the only person I could think of who might know who wrote that letter."
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Yesterday, the two were in the attic of their house trying to look for anything else relating to the letter though they came up with nothing. Martha got the idea to ask her aunt since she knows she has the right to know about this piece of scandal in their own family history. In addition, to perhaps knowing if she recognizes the handwriting of the person behind the letter then they would find out who was sleeping with their late grandfather.
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"All right," Steven says before they enter into the office where the petite older woman is sitting behind her desk signing some form, her attentiveness brings her to focus on her son and niece, wondering what the two of them are doing here,
"Is everything okay, it's not, Sarah Lynn, is it," Esther surveys.
Steven shakes his head firmly. "Aunt Sarah is fine, we, have something to tell you,"
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​"And show you," Martha adds delicately
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Esther folds her arms onto her ample chest with a puzzled expression. "Something in my gut tellin me I ain't gonna like this," she says in her southern drawl.
The two of them take a seat in the two chairs set in front of her.
Steven fishes in the pocket of his pants for the vintage sheet of paper, he gives it to his mother, who begins reading it to herself. It does not take long for Esther to skim through the document. "Where on earth did you find this?"
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SAMPSON UNIVERSITY : KLEIN HALL
Today marks the first day of classes for students at Sampson University. The campus is full of students and academic staff ready to begin the semester. Inside of Klein Hall, students were entering their lecture halls, including Tommy Covington, his girlfriend Tanner Lockhart, and their best friend Elijah Barker, who all takes a seat at the table in the center of the classroom.
"Getting up at 10:30 for classes, I'm beginning to see why my sister got her master's degree," Tommy says happily.
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Tommy isn't an early riser, so having his classes in the latter portion of the morning suits him perfectly.
Tanner straightens her eyeglasses on her face, "Well, there is an upside for just about everything isn't it,
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"May I have your attention please," calls out a male authoritative voice.
All students get drawn towards the front of the room in which a tall man in his mid-fifties with a briefcase in his hand, he then sets it aside on his desk.
"My name is Nathaniel Barker, and I will be your instructor in the world of English Literature this semester."
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Elijah whispers to his friends. "I'm trying to find the upside of having another parent work at the school you attend,"
Tommy slants his head to face Elijah. "Then why you register for another English class?"
"Let's just say I was encouraged," Elijah says simply.
In their fourteen years of friendship, Tanner gathers his parents strongly influenced him to do so.
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Nathaniel summarizes how this semester will go in his class, Also having students passing around syllabuses.
The sound of the door gets Elijah's observation, "I don't believe this!" he exclaims incredulously.
Before Tanner or Tommy can ask him what he is talking about. Nathaniel stops informing to take charge. "Excuse me, you do know what time this class commences, don't you?"
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"Yes, I do, traffic," the latecomer student replies.
The familiarity of her vocalization makes both Tanner and Tommy see the person carrying a carryall purse on their shoulder, wearing a white tie-back tank top and white slacks take a seat at the table in front of them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I won't take too kindly to tardiness," he warns them. "I want to discuss your first assignment, that is due in three weeks."
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Jordan McKnight turns around and waves at Tommy with a smile.
Tanner sees her boyfriend friendly waving back at her sensing some things change and some things sadly stay the same which includes Jordan making a play for someone else's boyfriend.
"I'm still trying to find that upside," Elijah states
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
Sarah Lynn Saunders finds herself in the office of her psychiatrist on the third floor in the general psychiatry unit at Radcliffe Receiving Hospital. Not long ago Samuel came all the way out to the house where he told her daughters convinced him to counsel her again due to her grief of losing Peter still there. Deciding to give the guy who made a house call the benefit of the doubt, she made an appointment to speak with him regarding her issues of late.
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Sitting across from her, Samuel has a yellow legal notepad and a pen in his hand. "So when did you first meet Peter?"
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A smirk consisting of fondness and bittersweet creep onto Sarah Lynn's face. "I will never forget the date for the rest of my life, April 11th, 1971, I was among twenty other girls in the county pageant at the civic auditorium, his father was on the judging panel. Peter tagged along; I don't think he minded being in the audience." she chuckles. "He said I first caught his eye when I came out on stage wearing this seafoam green bathing suit."
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"When did he first catch your eye?" Samuel poses the question
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"When I first saw him sitting in the audience, with that cheesy grin he always had when he was over the moon, but I didn't see a future with him until December my brother George kept going on about some toy train he wanted for Christmas and of course, my mother couldn't afford it, and my sister was in nursing school, so money was tight, Peter's mother invited us out to the farm for dinner. And when it was time to open presents, the train set was underneath the tree. I never forget the look on George's face --- it made me realize he truly does have -- had a caring heart, and I can see me spending the rest of my life with him,"
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Samuel can see his patient talking this out is making her emotional in a good sense. "If you don't mind me asking what made you interested in doing pageants?"
Sarah Lynn was busy staring at his crisp grey dress shirt before she heard the question. She begins informing him of how she was six years old when she first started doing them as a way to bring in extra money for her family, who was struggling even more when her father left the first time.
"How serious did you get into it?"
"I placed third in Miss America as Miss Kentucky 1972,"
"Did you have any other aspirations?"
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Sarah Lynn shakes her head at him. "I did think maybe I would get into modeling or travel the world some before settling down, but Peter had asked me to marry him, and well we know what happened after that," she says in her usual good-natured way.
Samuel finds himself writing down what he has heard onto the notepad of course paraphrasing her responses. "It seems to me you placed your dreams on hold for everyone else in your life."
"Why does that feel like an insult?" Sarah Lynn says aloud
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"No, it is the furthest thing from an insult, I do believe though perhaps you should go out there and find your own purpose that doesn't have to do with your family, but for yourself Sarah Lynn," Samuel instructs.
Sarah Lynn thought she was coming here for grief counseling, not hearing opinions about how she sacrificed her own happiness to raise a family. "By doing what exactly?"
Samuel sets aside the pen and notepad onto his desk. "Volunteering, traveling, or even getting a part-time job for a few days something that is about you,"
The Saunders matriarch wonders if coming back here was a mistake, however, she isn't left with many options to deal with what she is suffering.
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WHEELER BUILDING : APT # 424
Courtney Covington hits the end call button on her smartphone. "You officially have a justice of the peace to preside over your ceremony."
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She is sitting at the nook of the galley kitchen inside her friend Tricia Meyer's fourth-floor apartment. The two were planning the wedding of Tricia and Sean that will be taking place in early October in Oahu, Hawaii. Courtney had just concluded the phone call with the person who will be officiating the ceremony.
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"It's a reason why I chose you to be my Maid Of Honor," Tricia says standing behind the nook, passing her good friend a bottle Lemon Perrier. "How is planning for your father's surprise birthday going?"
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Courtney takes a sip of the water before answering. "I'm about done with everything I never knew organizing a party could be this intense."
"I mean it's a party for Daniel Covington, I'm sure it comes with tons of pressure,"
If Courtney hadn't gotten to know Tricia well in the last year, she would've taken offense to her comment. However, she knows, she means with someone of her father's stature worldwide getting together an event must be laborious, which in truth it is.
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Courtney decides to change the subject. "Hey, Steven told me Sean is now the manager of Franklin Farm."
Tricia tucks some of her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ear. "Yeah, Louise gave it to him,"
"Why does it sound like you have misgivings?"
Tricia exhales slightly. "Because Sean has spent more time on the farm since Peter died and now with him being in charge of running the farm ---"
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"You think it means more time he spends with Louise?"
"I know it makes me sound paranoid, but it seems the two of them have gotten closer again."
"Well, Tricia, you can't forget they were together for twenty years, and they have children together, besides she is his boss."
Deep down, Tricia is aware of all of that, but she can't let go of this feeling she has of those two together becoming closer again with them dropping off Tanner to college and working with Lynn on the farm too.
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SAMPSON UNIVERSITY : STUDENT UNION
"Is there some sort of Hellmouth around us?" Tanner inquires to both Tommy and Elijah. The three our seated in the student union after their class was over they needed to decompress before each of them had to be in opposite directions on campus. Not at all excited about the girl who made their high school lives unbearable is also now going to college with them too.
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"I thought she was focusing on being the next Kylie Jenner?" Elijah remarks sarcastically
"She told me she thought about taking a few classes in between the modeling," Tommy confesses.
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He recalls during his sister-in-law's abduction, the two were at The Waterfall, where she told him she had second thoughts about missing a year of school and was considering taking some classes as well as pursuing modeling.
"Why didn't she follow Mariana down to Ole Miss?" Tanner says
Jordan's best friend, Mariana Anson got accepted into the University of Mississippi.
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"Hey, you guys," Aaliyah Gupta says cheerfully. It's quite obvious she is a fashion major due to her flair for style. At this moment, she has on a red short-sleeve smocked blouse revealing her midriff with a black skirt and black ankle boots. She takes off the Vera Bradley sling backpack around her.
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Seeing the irritated expressions on her new friends' faces causes her to be confused. "Am I missing something here?"
Elijah clears his throat before launching into the cliff notes version about Jordan with the gang ending with today's appearance.
Aaliyah, who is now sitting down between Tommy and Tanner has an incredulous overlook upon herself. "Do your best to ignore her," she advises
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"I wish it was only that simple," Tanner says
Tommy looks on the screen of his iPhone at his class schedule. "Maybe she won't be so bad,"
Tanner and Elijah both exchange similar looks of disagreement on that assumption.
"It's a party happening, and we all are going," Lorenzo Vidal announces excitedly.
The group acknowledges the presence of Elijah's roommate, who also takes a seat at the table. The young man first met Tanner, Tommy, and Aaliyah at the orientation yesterday.
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"When and where is this party?" Tommy inquires
"At the Beta Theta Zeta fraternity house tonight," he tells them
"I'm in," Aaliyah interjects
"I don't know," Tanner states unsurely
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"Come on, Tanner, after the year you had you deserve to cut loose besides we're spending four years here might as well make some memories." Aaliyah communicates cheerily
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Elijah lifts his hand. "Count me in too,"
"Aaliyah's right Tanner," Tommy says.
"I'm not in the mood for a party, but you all go and have a good time." Tanner replies diplomatically. She then excuses herself having to get to her biology class in ten minutes.
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ESTHER SAUNDERS STABLES
Steven tells her about when he initially discovered it in the attic when they were organizing it recently.
"And you just bringing it to me now?" Esther says with a hint of disappointment.
"Well Aunt Esther, we decided to come you to because we wanted to know if whoever wrote this handwriting looks familiar to you." Martha says
"No, It doesn't" she responds. "Who else knows about this?"
"Just the three of us," Steven answers
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"Good, because I do not want this gettin out, you hear me," she replies. "Can I hang onto this for a little while?"
Her son nods as the pair excuse themselves since Steven had to go back to the animal clinic, and Martha had to be work at her shift at the bar. They're somewhat crestfallen to what they should do now about it now..
Esther stares at the letter once again trying to see did she miss anything in it.
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Dear, Jim
Of course, I feel guilty about what we’re doing to our spouses, but at the same time, those stolen glances we share when we’re around one another or those unforgettable nights we had together making love made me realize perhaps I settled down too quickly. It’s not that I don’t love my husband, it's just I’m tired of coming in second. Falling in love with you was never supposed to happen but I can't stop thinking about you.
All My Love,
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Esther moves her head talking to the ceiling. "Oh, Daddy, what the hell were you thinking of keeping this? The affair between him and Dee Dee is still affecting this family all these years later."
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
The gang goes to their first college party at the fraternity house on campus.
Mae reaches out to Shauna.
Tricia has a romantic evening in store for Sean.
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