EPISODE 76
Written by : Bre L. Drew
May 4th, 2020
Last Time On Town and Country
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Peter suffered a mild heart attack.
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The Saunders family were all elated at his recovery.
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Covington Group were nearly finishing their residential and retail project.
FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
Peter Saunders turns the wheel of his pickup truck to journey on the gravel driveway leading up to the main house on Franklin Farm. He puts the vehicle into park and stares out of the various windows impressed at the excellent shape of the farm. Beside him sitting in the passenger seat is Sarah Lynn Saunders she has her trademark beautiful smile upon her face.
"What's that for?" he asks, referring to the joyous expression.
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Sarah Lynn takes a few strands of her golden blonde hair behind one of her ear. "When you first told me that we were going to the mountains for our anniversary I thought there was no way you could manage without constantly calling to check in every five minutes," she replies
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Peter gifted his wife a week getaway at the same cabin they rented on their twentieth wedding anniversary in the mountains. He wanted to make there forty-seven years of marriage memorable since Sarah Lynn has been by his side since he had a heart attack months ago. He knew that he isn't exactly easy to care for, so he wanted to do something romantic for her.
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Peter chuckles. "I didn't break my promise about calling too much."
She nods. "You were well behaved."
He unbuckles his seatbelt and looks at the exterior of the house.
"You do know when we get behind that threshold our trip is over."
The look on Sarah Lynn changes from happiness into affection. "Well, let's make it last a little longer then babe."
The couple enters in an intimate embrace with one another as they kiss one another.
"I love you, Sarah," he says gently.
"I love you too, Peter," Sarah Lynn remarks tenderly.
Sarah opens her eyes to find herself in a different atmosphere. It was no trace of anybody sleeping next to her. Then that same emotion of sadness hit her all over again.
The sound of knocking on the door captures her attention. She verbally lets whoever is there to come in.
Martha Saunders enters into the room already dressed in a black scalloped tank and light blue denim shorts.
"Mom, are you okay?" Martha kindly inquires
She takes in the current state of her mother whose face is flushed, her usual kept hair, is in disarray.
Sarah Lynn sighs roughly as her youngest daughter draws the curtain open to let in the sunshine, from the spring morning giving the room much-needed contrast from the darkness, it has been in for a while now.
"I'm fine," Sarah Lynn lies.
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Martha knows her mother isn't being honest with her but doesn't want to get into an argument, so she let the fable rests for now.
"Need anything before I start making breakfast?"
Sarah Lynn shakes her head to the question.
Martha asks one more time she gets the same rushed response.
When she left out of the bedroom, Sarah Lynn mentally recalls the words that she would never forget.
We tried our best but there was nothing we could do I'm so sorry.
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Sarah Lynn looks at the photograph of Peter and herself in the frame on the bedside table. It is of Peter and her forty-seven years ago today. She turns away from the image.
Sometime later, Martha is downstairs in the kitchen putting platters of food consisting of pancakes, sausage links, bacon, and scrambled eggs onto the table. The side entry door unlocks, as Esther Saunders and Steven Sullivan walk in the house.
Martha goes over to her cousin and throws her arms around him. "Welcome back Cus,"
Esther had gone out to pick up her son from the airport. He had spent a week down in Orlando visiting his son Evan.
Putting his bag onto the nearest counter. Steven stepped back to fully acknowledge the difference from the last time he saw her.
"What did you do to your hair?"
"You like?"
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Martha decided on a whim to dye her natural blonde hair into chestnut brown.
"Not bad," he retorts
Esther places her hand on her shapely hips "How is your momma doing?"
Martha throws her aunt a worried look.
"Still pretending everything is fine...when it really isn't, for her or the rest of us."
The three share similar glances of emotional hurt.
Two months ago, Peter suffered another heart attack. This time around, however, it was a massive one that he never recovered from.
"Maybe Aunt Sarah needs to talk to someone," Steven suggests. "I mean, it's been two months, and she has been stuck in her bedroom pretty much since the funeral."
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Esther crosses both of her arms onto her chest. "She gotta be the one who admits she needs help or it isn't going to do any lick of good,"
Esther speaks from experience about her father Jimmy, being an alcoholic needing help with his drinking. Sarah Lynn has to be the one to reach out to seek help with her loss.
Martha changes the subject. "Well let's eat everyone,"
FRANKLIN FARM
In between cleaning the waste of the cows and finally getting some leeway on the phone with the tractor supply company. Louise Saunders Lockhart is heading toward the barn. Outside, the temperature was steadily rising.
"Hey!" a familiar voice calls out.
She sees Sean Lockhart walking to her. He had on his usual work attire which consists of a plaid shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap on his head.
Louise casually greets her ex-husband.
"What's going on?" he asks.
"What makes you think anything is wrong, Sean?"
"Come on Lou, we were married too long for me not to know when something is up."
She inhales and slowly exhales before answering.
"Never realized how much responsibility was on my father to make sure this farm runs smoothly until now."
Since her father's death, Louise had been the one in charge of running the farm and the business.
Sean puts both hands in the pockets of his pants. "Peter wouldn't leave his shares to you if he didn't think you weren't able to run the farm," he says encouragingly
"That doesn't explain why he left 10% to Steven and 20% to Martha." Louise scoffs.
Peter's attorney Ellis Dannon informed his family his 50% of the business was to be divided by Louise, Martha, and Steven. Louise could understand Steven, since her father cared for him like a son and has an aptitude with animals as a veterinarian but why on earth he would leave anything pertaining to the dairy farm to Martha since she has never worked one day on the land let alone shown any interest in it.
"Well you aren't alone, I got your back," he assures her.
Her eyes somewhat moisten. "You know today is my parents' anniversary two years ago we were throwing them a surprise party but now."
Before she can say anything else, Sean takes her in his broad arms. Telling her it is okay,
COVINGTON GROUP
On the eighteenth floor of the Covington tower located in downtown Radcliffe. Members of the company's staff were sitting around the conference table inside the boardroom. Courtney Covington sashays into the room giving polite hellos to the employees. She then takes a seat next to Shauna Covington.
"You know what this meeting is about?" her sister-in-law asks.
Courtney takes out of her tablet out of its cover. "Your guess is just good as mine."
Since Shauna married her brother, the two have been beginning to bond. A far cry from them hardly knowing each other last year.
Conversing from the executives still could be heard when Daniel Covington set foot into the room. Eventually, their conversation ends when he gets all of their attention as CEO.
"I know all of you are wondering why I wanted to see all of you, but please don't worry, none of your job performances are unsatisfactory. Quite the opposite due to all of your hard work, the retail complex has 95% occupancy."
The entire room applaud at that new information.
The residential and retail development project has been the company's biggest venture since Daniel moved the headquarters back to Radcliffe from New York City. So he was more than elated to see it as overall successful.
Daniel then gets all of the focus back onto him by informing them he has another piece of information to be addressed before they get back to their day at the office.
"As you know last winter our senior architect Ed Pearson retired after thirty-five years but after a careful selection by our recruitment team we have found someone to take over the position."
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Murmurs of discussion from various people begin as Daniel uses the boardroom telephone to authorize his secretary Evelyn to bring their newest member of executives into the room.
About ten seconds later, a petite woman with brown skin wearing a designer sapphire blue dress and Christian Louboutin heels on her feet enters. She crosses over to her new boss in which they shake hands.
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Excitingly Shauna looks at her sister-in-law. "Do you know who that is?" she asks.
Courtney shakes her head. "No, who is she?"
"That is Mala Gupta, I've been reading all about her work in Architectural Digest for years," Shauna says in admiration.
Throughout the years of reading the magazine, Shauna still can recall articles and photos of the skyscrapers, homes, and other trivial facts about her.
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In the time following, Mala stated to everyone she is glad to be working at a prestigious company. The meeting was now letting out with people heading into the hall. Meanwhile, Shauna and Courtney chose to stay behind.
Daniel guides Mala over to the younger women in the room.
"Mala, let me formally introduce to you my daughter Courtney and my daughter-in-law, Shauna."
The ladies shake hands with her.
"I've been a fan of your work for years, Mrs. Gupta, that villa you designed in Cozumel inspired me to go study interior architecture at college," Shauna says jovially.
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Mala smiles brightly. "Call me Mala, and if there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask," she says in her native British accent.
Courtney and Shauna then say their goodbyes to them as they head out.
"Who knew I would have an admirer of my work here in Radcliffe, Kentucky?" she says
"Your talent doesn't have any bounds," Daniel says invitingly.
As he and Mala walk out of the room towards the elevator bank and the memory of what occurred two months ago at Peter's repast on the farm. Louise and he shared a kiss on the porch swing after he was comforting her over her loss.
I'm sorry I don't know why I did that.
You know why, don't you see life is short, and you should grab happiness when you can.
This isn't the time to analyze our feelings for one another, Daniel.
Louise
He watches her going back into the house. Leaving him more confused as ever.
​
FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
Now in the afternoon, Martha is coming down the stairs into the living room with a sense of accomplishment of being able to put SJ down for his nap. She still can't believe he is one year old already. She thinks back at his birthday party, which was held in the house with friends and family. She remembers Peter carrying him on his shoulder half the day. And despite his misgivings when Martha decided to raise her son alone, he really stepped up to be a male role model for him.
Louise enters the front door. "Is mom upstairs?" she inquires
"Where else she would be right now?" Martha says
Martha knows she sounds petty right now, but her sister has been working on the farm for months now and hasn't checked in on her as much as everyone else has.
"Is Mom still in her room?"
Martha nods. "At least you know that,"
"What the hell is that suppose to mean Martha?"
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"Let's see ever since dad died, mom hasn't left this house, let alone her room and it took you only two months to realize it."
Louise didn't have the time nor the patience to deal with her sister's petulance.
"I'm sorry, but I've been singlehandedly keeping this farm going,"
Martha gets closer to her sister's face. "Oh I get it this is what this is about you're still pissed daddy left me shares of the business."
"No, I'm pissed because you nor Steven haven't tried to contribute any work out there." Sean, the men, and I are doing all of it."
Martha throws both of her hands up in defeat. "Damned if I do, damn if I don't Louise like you always said I am a screw-up and as for Steven maybe you should approach him about this I'm sure he will pitch in when he can."
Louise could feel herself turning red from anger, so she decides not to go upstairs to visit with her mother, and instead, she goes back out the door.
Martha could've said to her that she is the one who is trying to keep this family together for the last two months. She has been cooking, cleaning, and still going to work at the bar in a part-time capacity, and most importantly raising her son on her own. She didn't have time for her sister's foolishness.
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Away from the commotion downstairs, Sarah Lynn turns over in bed. She reaches out for the same photograph of Peter and herself taken forty-seven years ago on their wedding day. She in her frilly white wedding dress and he in his tuxedo. They were so young and had so many dreams. Many came to fruition, and others would never happen.
She lifts herself in bed continuing to look at the picture, hoping it will give her some type of clarity.
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Sarah Lynn wipes the water from her face with her hand. "We were supposed to be in the mountains together," she says emotionally.
END OF EPISODE
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Deirdre informs Daniel about Emma's whereabouts.
Steven and Louise have it out.
Antoine keeps an eye on Will.
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