EPISODE 93
Written by : Bre L. Drew
August 31, 2020
Last Time On Town and Country
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Tommy's admission to Pepperdine University is rescinded due to Shauna's kidnapping.
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Samuel agrees to make a house call to Sarah Lynn.
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Tricia asked Tanner and Lynn to both be bridesmaids in her upcoming wedding to Sean in Oahu.
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After twenty-four hours Shauna was found by her uncle and police in which she hadn't forgiven her uncle whom she feels is responsible for being taken,
HOME FARM
Usually, the din of conversation between members of the Covington family presiding at the table over breakfast in the expansive dining room inside of Home Farm would be in full force this morning, however, this morning Daniel, Max, Shauna, Courtney, and Tommy Covington were all silent due to the recent aftermath of the troubles they have been plagued with,
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Tommy takes a couple of sips of his orange juice he then puts the glass down in front of him. "Two weeks ago I thought I would be going to college by the beach funny how things change," he says sardonically,
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Shauna sets her fork onto her plate of half-eaten food. "Tommy, I'm sorry for what happened I feel like most of this is my fault." she apologizes to her teenage brother-in-law,
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Last week Tommy got a call from admissions at Pepperdine University informing him his admission to the college had been rescinded on account of the news of the kidnapping of his sister-in-law. The young man was hurt he won't be going to his dream school as he envisioned,
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"I don't blame you, Shauna," Tommy assures her.
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"Shauna, you have nothing to apologize for and besides I put in a few calls to other universities in the state so I should hear something from them soon." Daniel says from the head of the table,
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Daniel also tried to get him into the other school he applied for as well including Michigan State, Harvard, and USC but all of them had their own excuses as to why he couldn't attend for the fall semester,
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Max takes a hearty drink of his coffee; he has noticed his wife hasn't been getting much sleep since she has been back home, not to mention how she has hardly eaten anything either. Trying to not pressure her he is somewhat becoming worried about her,
"Pepperdine didn't have an issue letting in the illegitimate son of a Hollywood Action Star and his former maid, but draws the line none of us had any control over," Courtney says absurdly.
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"I'll be in the pool if anybody needs me," Tommy replies before excusing himself away from the table.
"I hate seeing him like that," Max declares
"Me too, but he is going to be fine one thing about this family we're resilient," Daniel remarks strongly.
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FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
As he gets out of his black Audi Sedan in the driveway of Franklin Farm, Dr. Samuel Gupta takes in how expansive the property is. Sounds of various animals can be heard as he gets out of the car. Climbing up the porch steps he soon locates the doorbell, remembering the other day he had agreed on the behest of Sarah Lynn Saunders' daughters to talk to her since they strongly believe her grief for her late husband is still quite palpable,
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Fifteen seconds later the crimson red front door swings open revealing Martha Saunders in a beige tiered maxi dress. Also, she is holding a cute toddler in her arms, playing with a stuffed giraffe.
"Come in," she tells him.
Samuel walks into the two-story house, which has a rural quality to it in spite of its modern-day furniture including several photos of members of the Saunders family as well.
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"Hi," SJ waves excitedly with the toy in his hand.
"And who is this little guy?" Samuel inquires
"My son SJ," Martha replies proudly.
"How are you doing SJ?" he greets nicely,
The one year old excitedly shakes his giraffe with one hand.
The two adults chuckle.
"I take it he is good," he estimates
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Louise Saunders Lockhart comes into the room having overheard the friendly conversation between her younger sister and the psychiatrist,
"Hi, Dr. Gupta," Louise says diplomatically.
"Samuel," he interjects. Which reminds her he permitted them both to call him by his first name at the hospital the other day.
"Right, our mother is in the greenhouse,"
"Oh god!" Martha shakes her head
"Why what's wrong?" Samuel cross-examines
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Louise exhales. "It's where my twin daughters found her talking to our father but in reality, she was hallucinating."
Samuel isn't blown away from that fact due to years of patients having experienced something similar due to some form of trauma that has left been undiagnosed.
"I can take you out to the greenhouse," Louise says directly
"I think for everyone's best purpose I go out there alone," Samuel remarks.
Louise tries not to show her reluctance, as she instructs on the best way to get where her mother is currently at, once he takes off through the kitchen.
Martha is left holding the giraffe as SJ attention's span is now fixated on the ceiling, "I hope this all works out," she says
"You and me both," Louise concur with her younger sister's statement.
WHEELER BUILDING : APT # 424
Speedily making sure everything is neat and tidy around the two-bedroom apartment she shares with her fiancé, Tricia Meyer in her navy blue Lilly Pulitzer jumpsuit is expecting her fiancé's daughters to arrive at any minute. Tanner called her yesterday to see whether or not she and her sister can come over before they had to run errands, Logically, she knows she and they have a sordid history due to the way she first got together with their father. However, in a month or so; she and Sean will become husband and wife, And honestly, she would not be surprised if they are coming to tell her no with the satisfaction of seeing her reaction. A mere two minutes later knocking commences at the door in which she saunters to retrieve the door finding the fraternal twin sisters both standing there,
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"Hey," Tricia says as casually as she can.
"Hi," Tanner Lockhart greets her back.
The two enter into the apartment in which the smell of all-natural cleaning disinfectants can't be mistaken.
Tricia gestures them both to take a seat around the small counter in the galley kitchen. She asks them both if they want anything to eat or drink, and as she expected neither did,
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"Look, I know I will never be your favorite person, but I love your father; and we both want you to be part of the ceremony if that means you just come with us to Hawaii as witnesses it'll mean a lot especially to him,"
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"We don't need to be persuaded either way," Lynn Lockhart informs her bluntly
Tanner removes a few strands of her brown hair out of her face. "Lynn and I talked this through and we both agreed to be your bridesmaids."
Tricia politely nods her head at the girls. "You don't know how much this means to me," she replies enthusiastically. "And I make sure your dress fittings won't interfere with school and work."
As the twins' exit out of the apartment heading into the hallway towards the elevator bank. Lynn turns her head to see if the door to their dad's apartment was closed. "How come it feels like we're approving this sham of a marriage?"
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Tanner reaches the elevator first. "After everything that has happened this year, it's important we're there for dad despite his faults he has always been there for us and anyway who says I approve of Tricia marrying him?"
Lynn hits the down arrow button on the wall. "Trust me Tan-Tan she is going to do something to screw it up,"
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FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
Louise is in the kitchen of her childhood home at the table pouring over paperwork from the bank, she is reading something when Sean Lockhart comes into the room,
"Hey, I got your text," he says. "Anything wrong with the girls?" he asks.
"No, they're fine, I have to ask you something," she answers.
Sean takes a seat beside her at the table puzzled as to what his ex-wife needs of him,
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"I know it's been pandemonium around here since my father's death and the issues going on with my mother you've been doing a lot more work on the farm," she admits to him.
"It's no problem, and anyway it's my job," Sean states
Louise puts down the sheet of paper she was skimming at onto the table. "How would you like to manage Franklin Farm?"
Sean gives a delayed reaction since a job promotion is the last thing he expected since he has been working as a farmhand for over twenty years. "Are you serious?"
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"If you need time to think about it,"
Sean taps his forefinger on his temple. "I guess it's only one thing to say than yes I accept,"
Louise finds herself smiling in which the two rises out of the chairs friendly embracing one another. Nonetheless, it felt like the one last lost piece of a puzzle is placed when they get close to each other. She then lets go of him knowing she doesn't have the right to have those types of feelings anymore even though they weren't of lust or love but more familiarity.
"A lot of change is happening without a family, isn't it? Tanner heading to college next week, Lynn is working here full time,"
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"You and Tricia our getting married," Louise interposes
He lowers his head to acknowledge her statement. "And now with this new job, I think things are looking up for all of us,"
"From your lips to you know ears," Louise says hopefully.
FRANKLIN FARM
Deciding to get out of the house for some fresh air, Sarah Lynn Saunders ventured out to the greenhouse where she is now watering plants. A part of her wishes she was still able to talk to her husband recalling one of the last times she was here she was doing exactly that or at least she thought she was not knowing she was suffering from a mental breakdown.
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"Get a grip," she says whilst continuing to occupy herself.
A minor tap on the door gets her immediate attention. Setting the watering can down on the surface near the plants. When she sees who is the person on the other side she is taken-aback thinking she wouldn't be seeing Dr. Samuel Gupta again, knowing she couldn't leave him out there she opens the barrier allowing him inside the building.
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"Making house calls now?" Sarah Lynn says trying to unease herself of nerves,
"Sort of," he replies. "First of all, I like to apologize if I came at you strongly during your session because that was not my intention."
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Sarah Lynn reflects on him asking her in his office about her father which is a sore subject for her due to him being in and out of her life growing up.
"Thank you, but you didn't have to come all the way out here to tell me that."
Samuel crosses his arms onto his chest. "Actually it was your daughters who convinced me to check in on you."
He can already see the older woman protest on her face.
"I know I haven't gotten to know you well, but from what your daughters say you're very important to your entire family. They want you to get well, and if you want that too at least consider coming back to me, or can I suggest another colleague, but either way you can't just go along day after day thinking if you bury your head in the sand your pain will go away because let me inform you it won't not without counseling,"
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"I will call and schedule an appointment with you," she says with some ease.
Samuel sees displays the look of hesitance on her part.
"Okay, when is your next available morning appointment?" she inquires.
Deciding to give this guy one more try realizing he isn't going to give up until she promises some form of treatment.
HOME FARM
Feeling the tightness in the core of arms as he backstrokes in the pool on the estate. Tommy needed to channel his energy into something to keep his mind off what is going around him. As he reaches the end of the pool, he sees his father in his dressy casual attire coming over to him.
"Let me guess every school in Kentucky has rejected me because they don't like the name Thomas?" Tommy asks sarcastically.
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"You sound like your brother," Daniel replies. "A school has granted you acceptance."
Tommy wipes the dripping water off his face. "Which school is it?"
Daniel sticks both of his hands in his slacks. "Sampson University,"
Tommy is quite familiar with the school since it is only twenty minutes away from here besides it also where his girlfriend and his best friend will be attending
"I guess I don't have much choice," Tommy says nonchalantly
"Tommy, I know I have been hard on you since you got back from boarding school, but you're becoming a responsible young man your mother would be proud of you," Daniel says encouragingly.
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Two years ago, he was expelled from school due to him having sex with his headmaster's goddaughter in her room past curfew. And now he has a girlfriend he is serious about and a future he is serious about too.
Tommy does not hide being surprised hearing those words coming from his father. "I'm trying to do my best dad,"
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Shauna is sitting on the edge of the king-sized bed she shares with her husband upstairs in their bedroom. Somewhat despondent over her being taken hostage by her uncle's former cellmate is still weighing heavy on her,
Max closes the door behind him entering into the room. He stops when he glances at Shauna looking different from her usual upbeat self.
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"Good news, Tommy is going to Sampson, I know it isn't where he wanted to go, but at least the crisis is adverted," Max reports to her.
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"That's good," she says lethargically. She then pulls her legs onto the bed where she puts both arms around her knees.
Max settles next to his wife on the bed, not sure of what is going to occur next.
"Tommy would be in California right now if it wasn't for me if I had kept out of my uncle's life none of this would've happened," Shauna announces
Shauna and Antoine were keeping tabs on Will since he got out of prison late last year to protect her grandmother whom they know couldn't be hurt again by her son's criminal antics.
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Even though Max isn't sure why she didn't tell him he knows it is not the time for him to go into with her. "You can't blame yourself for anything that happened to you,"
Her eyes begin wallowing with tears. "When Jerome held that gun in front of me --- I thought I was going to die,"
Before Shauna can say anything else, Max tightly clasps onto her letting her cry onto him. "It's okay," he kept repeating as she began finally admitting how she felt during her kidnapping. The resonances of her crying made him even more determined not to let his wife go through this trauma alone.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
The gang begins life at Sampson University
Steven and Martha begin looking for clues in the attic.
Will tries to make amends.
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