EPISODE 3
Last Time On Town and Country
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Sisters Louise and Martha Saunders weren't happy to reunite one another.
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Wealthy businessman Daniel Covington moves back to his hometown of Radcliffe.
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While signing up for horseback riding lessons, Courtney Covington met Steven Sullivan.
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Louise discovered a pregnancy test kit box in Martha's bedroom.
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Written by : Bre L. Drew
May 22, 2018
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Parking her mother’s 2007 Chevrolet Malibu in the driveway of the main house on Franklin Farm. Martha Saunders can’t help but think about how cool it was to reconnect with her two longtime friends Shauna Jackson and Antoine Hall at The Waterfall Bar this afternoon.
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Nevertheless, as she approaches the front door of the house. Reality starts to set back in that she isn’t where she once pictured herself when she first left Radcliffe two years ago.
By now in her life, she imagined she would be working on her first studio album, with the likes of DJ Khaled or T Bone Burnett. Instead, she is back living in the country with no successful singing career.
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“Anyone home?“ she calls out in the empty living room.
She does not hear anyone reply to her. She then heads upstairs when she goes into her bedroom. She makes her way to the middle drawer of her dresser, which is practically bare inside, except for the pregnancy test she kept hidden.
Before she boarded the plane from LAX, she had gone to buy the test from one of the stores in the terminal. And didn’t get the gall to take until earlier this morning after breakfast.
“Looks like you found what came in this box,“ exclaims a familiar voice from behind.
Martha turns around to face her sister Louise Saunders Lockhart sitting in the white wicker chair, holding up toe box that pregnancy test came in.
“Are you pregnant Martha? “ Louise asks
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THE WATERFALL BAR
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When Courtney Covington decided to move with her father to the country from New York City. She wanted to start back taking lessons after ceremoniously quitting them when she was ten years old after accidentally stepping in horse manure, which ruined her new pink riding boots. So after completing her first lesson, she decides to make an impromptu stop at The Waterfall Bar for a celebratory drink.
The interior of the bar rather impresses her for the most part, on the drive here she had envisioned this place has one of those paintings with the dogs playing poker hanging on the wall.
She makes her way through the crowd that is building up this evening at the bar. Where an African-American woman in her early sixties is wearing a permanent wide grin on her face.
“Hi, what can I get for you? “
Courtney requests a glass of Verde as she is reaching for her Amex black card in her new Michael Kors bag.
Unbeknownst to her, Steven Sullivan is now standing right beside her handing over cash to the bartender.
“Whatever she is having and what’s on tap, thanks, Mae.“
Both of them remain silent as the landlady goes to fulfill their orders.
Yesterday the two of them first met at his mother‘s horse stables where she went to go last minute to sign up for riding lessons. She notices now that he even looks and smells even better.
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Shortly thereafter, Mae returns with their beverages then she scurries off to the end of the bar.
Courtney is the first one to open her mouth.
"You didn’t have to do this, but thanks, “
Courtney looks at him with such a joyous expression hoping it doesn’t make her blush in front of him that would be embarrassing as hell in her opinion.
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The two of them retreat to a table in the center of the room and faint sounds of an unfamiliar R&B song play through the stereo system.
“So Steven tell me about yourself? “ Courtney suddenly gets up the courage to be inquisitive towards him.
He admires her tenacity “ Um, that’s straight to the point, “
He begins rallying of snippets of his biography, place of birth, parents' marital status, and occupation.
He finds himself nearly about to inform her about being recently divorced and having a five-year-old son. Steven stops because he is quite sure that a twenty-three-year-old woman does not want to hear all of the baggage of a man who is vastly approaching forty.
“Sorry, if I’m boring you,“ he says
“I haven’t gone anywhere keep talking, Dr. Sullivan.“ Courtney insists
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FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
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“That can belong to anyone in this house. “ Martha says doing her best to look at her sister in her eyes.
Louise tosses the box onto the bed. “Mom and Aunt Esther our a little bit past the age of bearing a child think again.“
Martha begins fiddling with her black feather boa around her neck remaining silent.
“Martha, are you pregnant? “ Louise lowers her voice.
Martha moves around her bedroom some more. “So what if I am?" She begs the question. "Last time I check I’m a grown-ass woman who's business you need to stay out of, “
“You're not so grown that you constantly depend on the bank of mom and daddy for handouts. “
Martha is well aware of having to ask her parents for money when her gigs in L.A. were far and few in between for as long as she can remember.
“It’s positive!“ she finally replies. "Are you happy Louise?“
Martha waves the stick, which shows the two lines to confirm her statement.
As Louise takes a look at her little sister, she instinctively knew the result she feels sort of guilty of badgering her about it.
“How are you feeling?“ she asks. She takes a seat on the foot of the bed.
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Martha pulls a few strands of her blonde hair behind her ear awkwardly she sits next to her on the bed.
“That is the nicest thing, you said since I came back home. "
“ I’m not that heartless, Martha, I just want you to think for a change."
“I - don’t know what to feel right now," she replies. "I am an out of work musician with little money with no means to support myself let alone a baby," that kid would be so screwed up, as for me as its mother Louise. "
If this was earlier, Louise would have given her plenty of reasons why she wouldn’t make a good mother to her. Although she can see some fear, behind Martha’s eyes.
“ I know I just talked crap about you, but this baby will be lucky to have you as a mother.“
Martha cannot believe what she just heard. Growing up the two sisters were never exactly close. Mainly due to the rather large age gap between them. As well as other unspoken insecurities of both sisters. Yet she can hear sentiment behind Louise's words.
“Trust me when I found out I was first pregnant with the twins. I was a nervous wreck," she says. "But having the family to support me and Sean made all the difference. “ And if you choose to keep the baby it'll be the same for you too."
“Who is the father? “ Louise asks
Slowly Martha stands up from her bed. “A guy that I wasn’t serious with - it’s not really important Louise. “
“The hell it isn’t Martha,“ Louise counters her sister's lack of an answer to her question.
Martha begins to stare at herself in her full-length mirror, “ You can leave now, “ she does her best to fight the tears she will never let her sister see.
Making her way halfway to the door, Louise stops herself from behind Martha. Please remember what we talked about," she says softly.
She then lets herself out of the bedroom.
As the tears begin falling down her face, the emotions. Martha continuously gazes at her own reflection in the mirror knowing that she can’t hide her pregnancy forever.
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THE WATERFALL BAR
Notwithstanding the cloudy overcast hanging over the rural community of Radcliffe, Steven and Courtney stroll to the parking lot outside of the bar.
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“This is me, “ Courtney announces as they reach her convertible.
Steven isn’t sure what comes over him, but he reaches out to her before she can open the door of her car.
“ Not so fast, I must say that I enjoyed our time together without my mother in the room. “
Courtney couldn't help but smile. “Me too it was fun how about next time dinner somewhere that doesn’t serve peanuts as an appetizer, “
He smirks “ Not a bad idea, “
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Steven then sees Courtney standing up on her tippy toes as best as she can from her height of 5’2. He lowers himself the best he can from his stature of 6’2. Their lips do touch and they make out a little while longer as they part silently they agree that this needs to be explored further what is between them.
“I need to go back to the clinic,“ Steven says casually.
“Yeah, well don’t forget about our date, and then maybe you be ready to admit we can have something great together, Steven Sullivan.“
Despite his irrationality, Steven is impressed that this younger woman can be so forward and yet so damn perceptive.
Courtney opens her car door as her lunch companion takes off to his truck. She decides to stand there just to check him out from behind.
A grin appears on her face when she comes to like what she sees. Courtney gets in the driver’s seat and then starts her car up doing her best to stop smiling feeling that she is acting like some school girl who has her first crush.
She reverses out of the spot and drives off the lot feeling good that she had chosen to go to the bar today.
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FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
Peter, Sarah Lynn, Esther, and Louise are in the living room watching the latest round of news stories of violence affecting the country once again on television.
“It’s a shame that all of this brutality keeps happening day in and day out, “ Sarah Lynn says sitting in her usual chair.
“Tell me about it, “ Louise states
She cannot imagine if either of her girls was hurt because of their skin color or even being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Thankful that she and her family live in a place where there is little to no crime.
“Amen,“ Esther chimes in agreement with everyone else has said.
“Is Martha all right?“ Peter asks as he sits in the chair closest to the door.
Despite the foolishness of Martha not informing either of their parents that she is pregnant. Louise can see why she might be apprehensive about telling them especially their father the truth. Knowing that he has a short-temper. As well as being a man with conservative morals. He wouldn't be so keen on his youngest daughter being knocked up, out of wedlock.
“She is sleeping poor thing is trying to adjust back to the time difference.“ Sarah Lynn speaks up
The doorbell rings.
"Now, who can that be at this time of day?“ Peter asks aloud to no one in general.
Since not too many people come to the main house after working hours. He gets up and answers the door to find a man in his early forties with sandy brown hair wearing an expensive suit.
“Hello, Mr. Saunders you might not remember me, I'm Daniel Covington,"
Daniel puts out his right hand out as Peter looks down at it, not willing to shake the man’s hand.
In the living room, the three Saunders women as a result of hearing the visitor's name all exchange looks of curiosity.
Peter folds his arms across his chest, which is a clear sign of irritation in his voice. “What the hell you want boy?“
“Let him in,“ Sarah Lynn insists
Daniel is let in the house by Peter he looks around the house as he prepares himself for what he has to say to the family.
“I think you know why I’m here,“
The four of them give each other confused looks as to what Daniel Covington is here for the first time in almost thirty years.
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END OF EPISODE
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NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN & COUNTRY
Old wounds resurface for the Saunders clan.
Tanner doesn't like what she overhears.
Antoine wants commitment with Shauna
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