EPISODE 17
Written by : Bre L. Drew
Last Time On Town and Country
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Preparations were underway for the dinner party being held out at Franklin Farm.
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Both Esther and Daniel weren't elated with being in close proximity of the other family.
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Louise lies to her mother that Sean is in Paducah with his parents - In reality he is away with his mistress - She then confronts him via voicemail revealing that they have been in an open marriage. She discovers that Martha overheard everything.
FRANKLN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
In spite of the broad space between her bedroom and her parents' bedroom. Martha Saunders was always able to overhear things her parents were saying when they were speaking at a loud volume. She was simply finishing styling her hair with the curling iron when she casually started listening to the voice of her older sister yelling at someone. It makes her finish her hair a little quicker. She walks out of the room and stations herself in front of the door. She heard her sister whom she sums up that she is on the phone since she keeps saying Sean and her mother told her earlier that Sean isn't coming to dinner because he is out of town. Just as she was about to leave her ears to begin to perk up when more and more Louise goes into Sean being with his mistress and that she was the one to come up with the idea of an open marriage. Martha opens her mouth with nothing audible coming out of it. She is about to go back to her bedroom when Louise forcefully opens the door and is stunned to see her standing there. She demands what did she hear. Martha admits she heard everything. Before she knows it Louise politely grabs her arm and pulls her into the room and shuts the door behind them.
Louise remains standing at the sight of her baby sister overhearing the most private details of her marriage. She can't believe that the one person who she isn't close to knows everything.
"It's not what you think,"
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Martha softly rubs her stomach which is starting to become noticeable on her slight frame because of her pregnancy. "I overheard you and Sean have some type of open marriage. Years of you passing judgment on me for my life choices."
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Louise closes her eyes for a second trying to gain some self-control. "You finally get to tell me off are you happy; Are you satisfied? I need you to promise me one thing though, "
"And what's that? " Martha asks, lowering her voice.
"That you don't in any circumstance blab to anyone about this, especially to the girls, they don't know about that, besides they just found out that Sean is seeing someone else." she pleads
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One thing that Martha always have to admire about her sister is that she is a good mother. And Louise did give her some good advice about the family coming together when she found out that she was pregnant. It took some time for everyone to be on the same board but her father is keen on having his third grandchild now despite it being out of wedlock.
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" Of course I won't tell Lenny or Tanner, or anyone else. Look I know we don't get along, but I do care about my nieces. "
"Thank you, " Louise tells her.
Martha makes the gesture to zip her lips, then proceeds to leave out of the room.
With a heavy sigh of relief, Louise steps out of the bedroom heading for the staircase hoping to put the last fifteen minutes behind her.
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******
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The sun was still in the sky albeit the sky was now more of an orange hue. Daniel, Courtney, and Max Covington were walking up the steps of the porch to the crimson red front door of the main house on the farm.
"Goodbye city life." Max says, in his best Eva Gabor voice, Taking in the sight of the farm.
" Please don't start," Courtney tells him, she presses the doorbell. "Everyone be on your best behavior ok. "
"As long as they're on theirs. " Daniel remarks
Steven Sullivan opens the door, he is happy to see his girlfriend arrive, and he does best to respectively address Daniel, even though he isn't keen on them dating. Which is why they're hosting this dinner this evening to show both families that they're going to be together for the foreseeable future.
The living room becomes even more hectic when Peter, Esther, and Sarah Lynn Saunders and Mae Jackson enter from the kitchen. Exchange of greetings and introductions are being made as Steven and Courtney hold hands.
"Dinner will be served in a minute, anyone care for a drink, appetizer?" Sarah Lynn offers.
Daniel stands in the corner looking at the fruit and relish trays on the coffee table. "I guess it would be too much trouble to ask for a scotch on the rocks. "
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Peter was about to confront him, then he remembers that he can't lose his cool. "No, I'll fix you a glass." he then ushers into the kitchen.
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Courtney glances through the wooden glass cabinet, where memorabilia of Sarah Lynn 's pageant days such as photos, trophies, and sashes with Miss Teen Kentucky and Miss Kentucky 1973 sewn on them were all inside.
"Wow, your aunt was in Miss America?" Courtney says, admiring the showcase in front of her.
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Steven nods his head to confirm the statement. "She had it going on back in the day."
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Sarah Lynn plants herself in the middle of the two of them. "What do you mean had? I still got it going on, thank you very much, nephew. " Sarah Lynn playfully chastises him. "All of that seemed like a lifetime ago." she sighs.
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Courtney feels some kind of solace that a member of her boyfriend's family didn't take off in her presence. Besides Sarah Lynn seems like a nice person. Much more than she can say for Esther who said barely a hello to her earlier. She then remembers that this evening isn't over yet.
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******
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Trying to get some alone time for herself, Louise is sitting on the porch swing outside on the wrap-around porch with a half-full glass of white wine. The breeze really felt nice on her as she ponders on how she ended up with an open marriage in the first place?
Of the corner of her eye, she spots Daniel coming out of the house with a glass of scotch in his hand. She is about to stay mute at the sight of him until he opens his mouth.
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"I see this is still your favorite place." Daniel says.
Louise scoffs "We used to sneak out here sometimes and talk about what kind of future we were going to have together."
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When the two of them were teenagers dating they were inseparable from one another. They used to make a wish on a shooting star that they will stay together forever. Their wishes never came to fruition. Yet, Daniel never regretted meeting Keri, building a family with her and being with her until her last breath.
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"Where is your other half?" Daniel quizzes her.
Louise takes a sip of her wine. "Away visiting his parents." she lies again.
"Nice night to have a dinner party. " Daniel says sarcastically.
Louise nods her head. "Oh yeah, just my ex-boyfriend, his family and mine together to celebrate my cousin and his daughter officially dating one another."
Daniel grins.
"It's about time Steven finds some happiness again … At least, someone is," she says before taking another drink.
"I won't ask, " he mentions. He then takes a taste of his brown liquor.
******
In the kitchen, Martha and Shauna Jackson were catching up with one another. As the pair of them sit at the counter where a couple of trays of appetizers were in front of them.
"How are you feeling?" Shauna asks her best friend.
She knows that Martha has been dealing with a lot of stress when she first found out about being pregnant and her father disapproving and then ending up in the hospital fearing she might lose the baby. She is relieved that her best friend is doing just fine.
"Better much better, my morning sickness is gone, but I did gain seven pounds this week. " Martha replies, she takes a cherry tomato off a tray and bites into it.
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"Well, your glowing so that's a good sign, Martha," Shauna says.
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"I'm um --- going to call Murray and tell him about the baby." Martha announces out of the blue.
"Really? Are you sure?" Shauna asks sensitively.
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Martha has contemplated that decision over and over again. And knows that her father was speaking the truth about at least giving him the option to be part of his child's life whether or not the two aren't together as a couple.
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"What if a Pic of me comes up on Instagram or Snapchat with my baby bump and he finds out that way? it wouldn't be fair Shauna. " Martha explains herself.
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"It's going to be all right regardless of him wanting to be in the baby's life or not . " Because I'm here and so is your family," Shauna advises her.
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Martha chews on a pineapple chunk. "Enough about me, how did your first day go at you know where? "
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Shauna shakes her head remembering everything. "Don't even get me started." she begins. She then informs her all about how cool Daniel Covington was to her, visiting the grounds of the estate and how his eldest son Max completely was unenthused about everything until her plans to remove his late mother's oil painting of Central Park to work in her motif to redecorate the living room and he got really pissed of until she told him she'll find a new design that will incorporate the portrait.
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"Sounds like a winner," Martha says
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"Oh yeah, he is a spoiled brat. " Shauna concludes.
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"Keep going I'm entertained." Max states with his natural sarcastic tone. He is wearing a Ralph Lauren classic blue and white fit striped shirt with a navy suit jacket and khaki slacks. He then continues to step into the kitchen.
Shauna shrugs which Martha takes as See what I'm talking about?
He then approaches the two of them "I didn't know you were related to the Saunders Shauna?"
"I've known Martha and her family all of my life." Shauna tells him.
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"Relax, I was just making an observation. " Max says.
To keep herself from saying anything else more insulting Shauna puts a red seedless grape in her mouth.
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******
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Eventually, the sun finally set over Radcliffe, in its place is a particularly beautiful night Making it even better to take the dinner party from inside of the house to outside.
People start taking their seats at the outdoor long table that is on the back patio of the farmhouse. String lights were hanging around them giving a laidback ambiance.
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Steven remains standing as he sees everyone in their seats, some marvel over the food.
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"Before we eat, I wanted to say thank you to my wonderful Aunt Sarah Lynn and Mae for preparing the food that looks incredible by the way."
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Folks begin to applause at his statement. Sarah Lynn is sitting at the end of the table with a smile on her face. Whilst, Mae is sitting next to Esther, Martha, and Shauna, she mouths out anytime to him.
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" Not to mention the idea for tonight is the brainchild of my girlfriend Courtney Covington." Steven says. He suddenly realizes he used the word girlfriend. It does not leave him with any feelings of doubt like before.
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Courtney is on the other side of the table, beside her is her brother Max, Louise, and Daniel who looks as if he had this vacant expression on his face.
"I just want to say thank you for everyone who is here it really means a lot to us. So let's eat, " he concludes as he sits down next to Courtney.
Bowls and dishes of an assortment of foods such as southern fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, tossed salad, biscuits with gravy our being passing around the table.
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Max breaks the silence at the table by talking about some of the tourist sights he visited to whilst working on the cruise ship. Courtney could kiss her big brother right now for breaking the ice as she takes a bite of her salad. Louise, Tanner, Sarah Lynn, and Mae seem enthralled with him seeing Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janerio.
Whilst, Lynn, Peter, and Steven were talking about going to a football game this season at Sampson University. Lynn informs them that it is supposed to be a good team this year.
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Daniel checks his watch on his wrist, he knows his daughter has her heart set on this dinner. But he can't in good conscious be celebratory of a relationship that he doesn't see a good outcome in the end. He then notices that the people around him stop conversing and seemed their attention was elsewhere.
Esther is even stunned into silence at the sight in front of her she then picks her glass red wine and takes a carefree sip.
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Courtney sees the figures as well, wondering to herself why everyone is quiet all of a sudden. She turns to Steven who starts to get up from the chair.
"Steven, who are they ?" she asks a little louder then she had anticipated.
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Steven is flabbergasted seeing the both of them for the first time in he doesn't know how long.
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The woman with a purse on her shoulder, wearing a burgundy leather jacket, and a black tee bends down to be at eye level with the little boy with light blonde hair who has an The Incredibles backpack on his back. " Sweetheart, do you know who that is?" she points to Steven.
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The little boy shakes his head excitedly. "Daddy!"
"Is there something you need to tell me? " Courtney asks her boyfriend. She is surprised to find the kid calling him that.
" I was going to tell you ---
"What? Tell me what? " Courtney demands.
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It seemed the guests at the table were intrigued although most of them already knew the answer to Courtney's question.
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In his mind, Daniel starts to solve this mystery like Angela Lansbury's character on Murder She Wrote.
"I'm his ex-wife Lorraine Sullivan, more importantly, this is our son Evan. "
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Courtney automatically puts her hand over her face to hide her embarrassment of being one of the few to find out this way. Daniel sees her and perhaps this dinner won't be as forgettable as he thought it would've been less than five minutes ago. Hoping she will come to her senses and dump this SOB once and for all.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
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Martha calls Murray Hirsch to tell him he is going to be a father.
Steven and Lorraine confront one another.
Shauna begins to see Max in a different light.
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