EPISODE 187
Written by: Bre L. Drew
June 6, 2022
Last Time on Town and Country
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After visiting Deirdre at the hospital, Esther accidentally bumped into a nurse who, unbeknownst to her, had Emma's information, including her blood type, which stunned her when she laid eyes on it.
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Courtney was hurt when Daniel suggested she couldn't run the company on her own.
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Presley and Tanner developed an attraction to one another.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Esther Saunders finds herself consumed in thought with the discovery of Emma's blood type, which coincidentally is her blood type. She accidentally bumped into a nurse the other afternoon after leaving Emma's room, having advised Deirdre not to give up on her comatose daughter. A fate that Esther wouldn't wish on any mother, especially her former friend.
While helping her retrieve the patient's documents, she found out they were Emma's, and she happened to land on her blood type, which is A+, which is also her blood type, which makes her think about the plausibility of her father being Emma's father, which makes her think back to when her father and Deirdre had an affair over thirty years ago. However, Dee made it clear that a blood test had been done when Emma was born to confirm that Patrick was her father. But she knew that Dee could lie with the best of them, so he had been debating what to do next.
"Esther, I asked did you want any more coffee?" Sarah Lynn Saunders tells her.
Esther had almost forgotten she was now at the table in the kitchen of her ancestral home having breakfast with her sister-in-law and Will Jackson.
"Oh, sorry, yeah I take some more thank you, Sare," Esther replies.
Sarah Lynn pours the hot liquid from the coffee pot into the nearly empty mug. "You seemed a thousand miles away,"
"Just some things on my mind, that's all." Esther lies somewhat.
Sarah Lynn decides to look across to their houseguest. "Are you heading into the club this morning?"
Will finishes his scrambled eggs on his plate. "A little later, I'm going to the hospital to visit Emma."
Esther decides to take a sip of her coffee at the mention of her possible half-sister.
"Please give Deirdre our best," Sarah Lynn says meaningfully. "I hope Emma pulls through,"
"If she doesn't have security throw me out, " Will responds.
It is no secret that the Covington matriarch and he don't get along since she thinks he is socially below her daughter.
"Will let me give you some advice; always keep one eye open on Deirdre Covington," Esther warns her best friend's son.
"That woman can be as scrupulous as the rest of them,"
HOPE COTTAGE
Courtney Covington Sullivan quickly grabs her cup of freshly brewed coffee from the Keurig machine. She needed the caffeine to take the edge off, still feeling embittered about what occurred days ago when her father stated she couldn't possibly commit to running the company while tending to her other obligations. Not to mention, Steven thought he needed her to handle her father, which she doesn't. And despite going to bed relatively earlier than usual, she was still deprived of energy.
Hearing footsteps incoming towards her, she lifts her head to see Steven Sullivan dressed for the day in a white oxford shirt and a pair of blue jeans. She could see it in his face that her husband was about to take the step of apologizing.
"Court, you have to understand that I never intended to make you feel incapable of being anything less than the strong person you are. I'm sorry."
The Covington heiress takes a long sip of her coffee. "Steven, I would admit that I took my frustration out on you the other day, but I wish you would've ignored that call from my father and let me handle it when I was ready."
Steven notices his wife is in business attire. "So, I see you're not letting what your father said to you discourage you from heading to the office."
"I refuse to let anyone think I'm less than," she replies. "I will see you later." She rises on her toes to reach her husband's face, which she pecks before heading out the door.
While Steven prepares to make his coffee to take to work, he sighs, knowing the tension between his wife and himself is still present.
ESTHER SAUNDERS STABLES
Presley McKnight finds himself helping to deboard the repurposed school bus in front of the office of Esther Saunders Stables. The church uses the vehicle to transport parishioners back and forth from service to their homes. The youth group consists of ten children ranging from ages eight to twelve. Along with them is his mother, Thora, who is volunteering on this trip as a chaperone.
He turns to see Tanner Lockhart coming out of the office in a dark gray graphic t-shirt with the words "By The Moon" that underneath has a picture of a moon with a face. She is also wearing blue jeans.
"Everyone, this is Tanner; she's going to show us around here today. "Say hi," he instructs the children.
"Hi," the kids say, mostly in unison.
Tanner waves with both hands at them. "Hi, there. I'm so excited for all of you to come here today. Before we go have fun, there are some things you need to know, such as, "If you feed a carrot to a horse, I hear they like that."
Some of the children begin laughing as Presley is enthralled at how good she is with them.
"You could do worse," Thora whispers to her son.
Presley shakes his head, trying to keep his mother in check. "Mom, we're just friends, that's all."
"I thought it was a sin for a reverend to lie, Presley," Thora smirks.
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
Deirdre Covington hadn't left her daughter's bedside in the last couple of days, despite knowing she looked like she hadn't slept much. She didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that Emma found the strength to awake from her coma.
"There is so much I need to say to you... I want to make up for not being the better mother I could've been to you when you were younger," Deirdre says to her comatose daughter. It is my fault that you are in the condition that you are in. If I could, I would trade places with you in an instant."
"You ain't the only one who had that thought," a male voice conveys.
Deirdre turns to see that Will Jackson is standing in the room.
COVINGTON GROUP
Daniel Covington steps inside his office on the twentieth floor of the tower that bears his family's surname in downtown Radcliffe. And to his amazement, he finds Courtney sitting behind the desk, reading over a document.
A few days passed since he told her she wouldn't be able to run the company by herself due to her role as a new wife when he overheard Max planning to resign from being Co-CEO.
"I'm not interrupting you, am I?" the Covington patriarch queries to her.
Courtney looks up from the paper to acknowledge her father's presence. "Well, that has never stopped you before," she says lowly.
​
"I guess I deserve that and more," Daniel says while stepping closer to the desk. "I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but we do have to talk."
Courtney places the document in front of her as it pertains little interest to her now.
"No, dad, I still recall the conversation that took place in this very room. Max was about to resign leaving me in charge and you walked in and informed me that I could not possibly run this company without my big brother because I'm a woman."
Daniel goes over to the mini bar to pour a glass of club soda. Come on, Courtney, that's not what I mean ... it's just that I've always envisioned you and your brother running this place together. And when your brother was going to resign, I said something I did not mean. Can you see that I'm remorseful for what I've said?"
Courtney can sense by the tone of his voice that he does seem penitent though she can't get over the way she was treated.
"You know what it's fine dad, I suppose when you return as CEO I will be downgraded back to my old position while Max gets to lead by your side."
Daniel swirls the ice around in his glass as he takes a sip of his soda. "It does not have to be like this, the three of us can work together."
Courtney throws a look of skepticism toward him. "I wish I could believe that dad."
Daniel is about to say something else when Max Covington enters the office sees his father and sister in the same room and tells him what they have been discussing.
"I can come back later if it's best," Max says
"No, that's all right; I was just leaving," Daniel gives his only daughter a regretful glance while he walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Courtney obtains the document she had been reading earlier. "Max, I'm not upset with you, but I need to go over the bid for the renovation of Miller Inn before we meet with them next week, okay."
"Look, usually I wouldn't step on your toes when it comes to business, but I think dad is right. What if we continue to work together and show him we're both capable of running this company with you taking the lead."
Courtney glances up at her brother somewhat keen on the idea though has some reservations about it.
Max takes a seat in front of his sister. "This will be a win; win, I get to learn the business while you'll be given credit for what should be a slam dunk."
"I never heard you speak using sports metaphors, but I think you might be onto something. If we do land this bid, dad would begin to see I'm not someone he can simply overlook Max let's do it lets show dad I can be just as successful in running this company as him,"
ESTHER SAUNDERS STABLES
Five members of the youth group, as well as Tanner and Presley, were riding on quarter horses along the trail to the stables as the bright sun beamed down on them.
"I think the last time I got on a horse was on my field trip here when I was in the fourth grade." Presley tells Tanner, who is beside him, "I hope I don't look like I don't know what I'm doing."
"It seems you remember more than you think," Tanner says to him.
Presley looks back to see how the children are doing, then focuses his attention on Tanner.
He casually clears his throat.
"I know this isn't exactly the perfect time, but I don't know when I am going to lose my nerve, so here it goes. Do you want to go out to dinner with me? "
While holding the reins of her horse, the former equestrian wants to verify what she just heard. "Presley, are you asking me out on a date?"
"Yeah, what's wrong? You aren't back with Tommy, are you?"
"No, I'm not putting myself through that pain again. It's just other than Tommy; no one has ever asked me out. I guess it still takes getting used to,"
Presley waits somewhat patiently for a response to his proposal.
"Yes," Tanner simply answers. "I would like to have dinner with you."
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Esther knew she wouldn't have one moment's peace until she started to get to the bottom of this. She waited until the house was empty before heading up to the attic. It seemed to be the place where old secrets stay, as she recalls Steven finding the letter from Deirdre, written to her late father, ending their affair. Esther is reluctantly optimistic that luck will strike again.
She is making the best of being in the confined hot space by going through her father's old medical files that her mother kept in storage for years. Peter and she couldn't figure out why, but as she grows older, she realizes her mother was far wiser than she gave her credit for.
Nothing presently was giving her what she needed. It mostly explained how the Cirrhosis diagnosis was linked to years of alcohol consumption.
"Daddy, why couldn't you be faithful to Momma?" she asks while going through more useless documents.
About five minutes have passed when she happens to skim the decayed sheet of paper that was one of the last ones in her hand she gazes at the blood type, which is AB+.
She takes her iPhone from her purse on the bench, unsure how to interpret this.
Three rings proceed before she hears the voice on the other end.
"Hey, it's me, I need to ask you something ... Yeah I can come there."
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
Deirdre had thought he had heard her speaking to Emma about her being the one partially at fault for the accident since she was unable to stop Will's car. Though he seems too rational at the moment, knowing he would be furious since he had been trying to find out who was behind his car not working.
"There isn't a time that I wished I hadn't drunk too much that night." I wished the police didn't need us, so we wouldn't have to leave, so none of this ever happened."
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Deirdre had thought to herself, He should be clinging to life, not her daughter.
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Will gets nearer to her bed, where it appears she is resting, though he knows there is a chance she may never wake up and can't help but blame himself.
"You know, placing blame on either one of us is not going to help my daughter from being a prisoner in her own body," Deirdre remarks.
Will roughly exhale. "It's just...
"Hard to see her like this," Deirdre fills in.
"Yeah," Will replies. "Hey, did we agree on something?"
"I guess that is what my mother used to call small mercies," the wealthy widow replies amicably.
He occupies the chair in the corner of the room, which he had brought to be closer to Emma.
A small passage of time passes that encompasses silence in the room, albeit the machines and occasional muffled voices outside the door in the hallway.
Will holds onto the hand of the woman he has come to deeply care about, Deirdre begins stretching when she notices Emma's eyes blinking, which at first, she considers an involuntary movement which she has been accustomed to. However, Will notices her hand in his twitching. They both stare at one another, silently conveying the same expression of incredulity with hope attached to it.
"Oh my god," Dee mostly reacts to her own voice.
Even though he does not want to leave, he decides to go out of the room to call for medical attention. In seconds, they enter the room, including Dr. Kettering, who begins examining her.
"I knew she would wake up. I just knew it," Deirdre says joyously.
​
END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Emma is awake.
Esther shares her assumption.
Daniel isn't keen on Jordan's breakthrough.
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