EPISODE 398
Written by: Bre L Drew
September 1, 2026
Last Time on Town and Country
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Despite others' misgivings, Tanner and Tommy are still moving forward with plans to live together in Minnesota.
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After doing some digging, Jordan discovered that Tommy and Daniel were responsible for getting Jacques thrown out of the Covington Group, and she plans to use that information to her advantage.
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Will and Martha haven't had much alone time together lately.
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Meanwhile, pregnant Emma remains unaware of Jacques' extramarital activities with her niece Courtney and Aaliyah.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
As the late-summer day grows into evening in Radcliffe, Tanner Lockhart stands trepidatiously in the kitchen archway of her childhood home, watching her parents comfortably make dinner together after finding their way back to one another following their divorce.
Sean Lockhart grates cheese for the salad while Louise Saunders Lockhart seasons steaks for the grill, the two discussing the recent issues affecting produce prices and quality. The normalcy of the moment only heightens Tanner's anxiety.
Nonetheless, the younger woman finally steps into the kitchen.
"Hey, pretty princess," her father says affectionately.
"We were beginning to wonder where you were," Louise says warmly.
Her mother looks at her.
"I still can't believe that in a few weeks you're going to be starting this new chapter in your life."
Sean smiles in turn.
"Your mother is trying to convince me that we shouldn't be FaceTiming you every day, but she keeps saying you gotta live your own life, which I know is true... It's just you haven't been away like this since you went to that music program at Berklee."
Tanner recalls that as well, remembering it was around that time when Tommy started getting close to her former best friend turned rival.
"It still doesn't feel real that I'm leaving town, even if it's a good thing."
Knowing she's leaving for veterinary school in St. Paul, Minnesota, Tanner grows increasingly uneasy, aware that she hasn't been completely honest with them.
"Um, Mom and Dad, I haven't been upfront with you about me moving to St. Paul," Tanner starts carefully.
"What do you mean?" Sean queries.
"Sean, let her get it out first before you start rushing her for an explanation," Louise says defensively.
The doorbell interrupts the conversation.
Tanner, knowing who it's likely to be, starts to trail behind her parents as they go to answer the door.
When Sean opens the front door of the cottage, he and Louise are surprised to see Tommy Covington standing on their porch.
Tanner slowly walks toward the guy she has reconnected with and plans to spend her future with despite everything.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart. Hope I have not come at a bad time," the wealthy heir greets them.
"Tommy, hi. I'm sorry, but we're just a little confused as to what's going on; that's all," Louise notes.
Tommy takes it as his cue to enter the residential cottage as Sean reluctantly shuts the door behind them.
"I wanted to be here when you heard it from Tanner."
"Heard what from Tanner?" Louise asks, unaware of what he's referring to.
Tanner faces him, clearly not happy about what is about to occur.
"Actually, I was getting to it before you got here."
Sean, however, remembers the prior conversation he had with Tanner and begins putting the pieces together, realizing this visit is about far more than Tanner simply leaving for Minnesota.
THE CLIFFE
The doors to The Cliffe will soon open for another night of service. Simultaneously, inside, Emma Covington Laurent descends the staircase from her upstairs office. The nightclub owner, who's well into her second trimester, wears a fuchsia strapless maxi dress with her hair in a neat bun, as the summer heat isn't dying down as much as she'd like.
As she saunters over to grab the shoulder strap of her bag, Will Jackson, who's behind the bar, instantly notices her and calls out to her.
"Hey, you out?" the bar manager asks his ex.
The petite, wealthy businesswoman walks over to the bar.
"Sure am. I definitely won't be on the dance floor tonight," she says sarcastically.
Will suddenly notices that something is off with her as she winces in discomfort.
By now, Emma is sitting in the swivel chair in front of the bar.
"It's just this damn headache I've had all day that won't seem to go away."
"Well, maybe you need to take it easy."
Emma can hear the sincerity in his voice, knowing their friendship is peculiar due to their sordid history.
"I had to look over those vendor contracts and also had that Zoom meeting with that deejay who wants to do a set for Halloween."
"Dang, girl, no wonder why your head is bangin'," Will notes regarding all the work she's gotten through despite her condition. "Like I said, take it easy; it's not just you but the shorty too."
Emma places a quick hand on her growing bump.
"Okay, Dad," she says sardonically. "I just need to go home, soak in a warm bath, and go to sleep."
"Anyway," she says, changing the subject, "what are you up to tonight?"
"As soon as I get out of here, I'm swingin' by the farm to pick up Martha, and we're gonna have some din din at Henry's."
Emma places her fingertips against her temples, trying to rub them, though it doesn't relieve much.
"How are things between you two?"
Will is a bit shocked that she asks since she knows she isn't quite close to her newfound niece.
"We're good," he remarks.
He decides not to mention how little time they have had by themselves.
Emma makes a noise of sorts, and she doesn't necessarily believe him, though she doesn't pry for now.
Meanwhile, Will decides to help out by pouring her a glass of water, which she gratefully accepts.
After a small sip, Emma sets the glass down on the countertop.
"I need to go, but don't you and Martha eat too much swine."
As Will chuckles at her comment, he sees Emma struggling to keep her balance as the pounding in her head intensifies.
He goes over to her and doesn't take his eyes off her.
"I think your next stop needs to be the hospital."
Emma lifts her hand, refusing the idea.
"No, I'll be..."
However, as another wave of dizziness hits her, she realizes she can't ignore it anymore.
"You know what? On second thought, I'm takin' you. C'mon."
With that, Will swiftly places his arm around the pregnant woman and guides her out of the establishment, determined to get her medical attention as soon as possible.
HOME FARM
The doorbell rings grandly throughout the rural mansion on the Home Farm Estate as Jacques Laurent pours himself a glass of scotch. As time passes, he notices no one is answering.
Again, it rings.
"Gertrude, could you get that, please?"
But the same sound penetrates the home again, annoying him as he takes a sip of the hearty beverage.
"Of course not," he says exasperatedly in his signature French tenor. "We wouldn't want you not doing your job now, would we?"
Setting the glass on the bar stand, Jacques strolls over to the front door. He opens it and is genuinely surprised to find
Jordan Covington standing there. Given her complicated history with the mansion and the Covington family, her presence immediately raises questions.
As Jordan enters the house, memories of being manipulated and gaslit within its walls briefly resurface, but she remains determined not to let them shake her resolve.
"Long time no see," Jacques tells her.
"For good reason," the young woman states.
She's wearing a sleeveless, dark brown, lace-trim keyhole blouse with slacks, and her blonde hair flows past her shoulders.
The former business executive shuts the door behind them as they retreat into the foyer.
"So, what brings you to the house of horrors?"
"I need to see Daniel," she proclaims strongly.
"For what reason?"
Jacques knows that there is definitely no love lost between the in-laws, as Daniel had been the one manipulating her into thinking she was an unfit mother.
Jordan replies cryptically, "Wouldn't he like to know?"
Intrigued, Jacques leads her upstairs to Daniel's office. Jacques knocks on the door, and they wait for Daniel to give a half-hearted greeting.
"Come in."
Jacques opens the door, and he and Jordan find the suited, middle-aged man behind his desk, on the phone and discussing something intensely.
Seeing Jacques enter with Jordan immediately catches him off guard.
He abruptly ends the call, suspiciously noticing his brother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the same place, making him quite suspicious.
"What's going on here?" he finally asks. "Does your visit pertain to Thomas or Jeremy?"
Jordan struggles to hide her feelings about being in the same room as him.
"Along those lines,"
At first, Daniel wants to tell her another time but avoids it, gesturing with one hand for her to come in, which she does.
Daniel lifts his head to see Jacques still standing there in the doorway.
"Could you close the door, thanks?"
Jacques does what he's told, though he remains on the other side, attempting to overhear what's going on.
Though he feels a vibration through his pants pocket, he reaches for his phone. He doesn't recognize the number, but something tells him to answer it anyway.
"Hello?"
Will's voice comes into his ear, which he doesn't waste any time responding to.
"Will, why on earth do you have access to my wife's phone?"
As he is about to go on, Will manages to get out what he needs to say.
"I'm just callin' to tell you that Emma is in the hospital..."
His demeanor changes instantly.
Before he can hear the rest of what could've been said, Jacques hangs up and jogs down the hall toward the stairs.
Without wasting another second, Jacques excuses himself and hurries out of Home Farm Estate, fearing something is seriously wrong with his pregnant wife despite the complications in his personal life at the moment.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Louise immediately turns to her daughter.
"Tanner, what's going on?" she asks.
Even though she has recited the words many times before this moment, Tanner struggles to find the right ones.
Feeling the pressure in the atmosphere, Sean gently places a reassuring arm around Louise, now once again his partner after their reconciliation.
In a near whisper, he urges, "Let's hear them out, okay?"
Louise shoots him a look that clearly says she has no intention of doing that, but after a moment, she reluctantly agrees to
listen. Tanner exchanges a look with Tommy, who silently encourages her to proceed.
"I guess I start this off by saying that Tommy and I have been reconnected for some time now."
"Since when?" Louise immediately asks.
Tommy feels he should interject.
"Since Elijah and Lenny's wedding."
Sean and Louise both react to the news. Sean braces himself before replying.
"Tommy, uh, last time I checked, you were married to her former friend, whom you cheated on my daughter with?"
Tommy nods obligingly.
"I'm still legally married to Jordan, but I served her with divorce papers. I'll always be there for my son, but I never stopped caring about your daughter, Mr. Lockhart. We've missed a lot of time, which I know is majorly my fault. But us being together again makes me realize we want to be together, and that is why when she moves to Minnesota for school, I'm going with her."
Sean remains silent while Louise slowly shakes her head at what she has heard.
"Mom, Dad, like Tommy said, we've lost out on too many years of not being together, and we're not going to let that go."
"No matter how much you both want to be together and think you can overcome anything in your way, life for the two of you will keep going, and with it comes responsibilities. That's double for him, and it won't always be easy," Louise strongly remarks.
"Does Jordan know about this?" Sean asks.
Tanner exhales.
"Oh, she does, and it's safe to say she isn't happy about it."
She still recalls the anger on Jordan's face when she saw Tanner and Tommy in the pool the other day, not to mention that she hasn't signed the divorce papers yet. Tanner can only hope she'll come to her senses soon enough.
Louise remains in disbelief, which Sean can detect. Before she can say anything else, he intercepts.
"Well, I think your mother and I have our reservations, but if this is what you want, then we wish you the best of luck."
The statement surprises Tanner and Tommy, while Louise's reaction is somewhat different.
"We appreciate that, and I think it's best that I leave. Thanks for hearing Tanner and me out, Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart. I know my words may not mean much after what I've done, but I swear I will never hurt your daughter again."
Sean nods, while Louise looks unconvinced.
I'll walk you out," Tanner volunteers.
The two make it to the front door, where they drop their guard slightly.
"Well, they took it better than I thought they would," Tanner says.
"All that matters is that we leave town and start our lives together."
With that, Tanner leans in and gives him a meaningful kiss on the lips. When it ends, Tommy smirks at her.
"I'll call you later."
He then exits, leaving Tanner standing there.
Inside, Louise wastes no time turning to Sean.
"What the hell was that? You can't be serious thinking it'll last. I can't stand by and watch our daughter get hurt again."
Sean places both hands gently on her shoulders, looking at her intently.
"Hell no. I will never trust Tommy, let alone that family of his. But if we put up a united front against Tanner, it might alienate things between us. Whatever happens, we gotta be there for our daughter."
Louise gives him a curious glare.
"When did you become so reasonable?"
"Old age," Sean jokes.
"So, in a few weeks' time, we see our baby girl off with all of her family and friends, and hopefully it'll all work out," he says reassuringly.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Inside the main house on Franklin Farm, the regional evening news plays mostly in the background of the living room while Sarah Lynn Saunders keeps a casual eye on the flat-screen television as a local story airs about two fishermen who have gone to the same spot on Lake Hudson every morning for forty years.
Her young grandson and his dog are also entertaining her.
"Okay, Grandma, are you watching?" the enthusiastic child announces.
"I sure am, sweetie. Go ahead," she tells him.
"Okay," he says happily. "Otis, roll over!"
The nearly five-year-old black-and-white border collie lowers himself onto his side, then rolls onto his back and over again, his tail wagging against the floor as SJ repeats the command. Once Otis completes the trick, SJ turns to the older woman, gauging her reaction.
Sarah Lynn smiles clearly impressed.
"Well, look at that!"
"Okay, now sit, boy."
Otis barks but remains on all fours, staring at SJ expectantly.
"C'mon, Otis. Sit."
The dog tilts his head but still doesn't obey, causing SJ to become somewhat impatient.
"Sit!"
Otis lets out another bark.
Realizing he isn't going to do it, SJ faces his grandmother.
"Well, we're still working on that."
"Not to worry, pumpkin. I'm sure by the time you know it, Otis will be able to do all kinds of tricks," Sarah Lynn says with the admiration only a grandmother can have.
Martha Saunders descends the staircase dressed for her evening out in a black studded tank top, an embroidered asymmetric chiffon skirt, pumps, and her neck-length brunette hair styled.
By now, her son and mother see her.
"You look nice, Mom," SJ says.
"That she does, doesn't she?" Sarah Lynn adds in agreement.
"Well, thank you," the single mother states.
She adjusts her purse before glancing toward the front door.
"Will should be picking me up soon. We're going to Henry's for dinner."
"That's nice," Sarah Lynn says.
"Yeah. We both agreed we need to spend more quality time together."
She checks her phone.
"He should've been off work by now."
"I'm sure he's probably just running a little late," Sarah Lynn reassures her.
SJ suddenly looks toward Otis.
"Come on, boy. We're gonna keep working on your sitting and fetching."
The women laugh softly.
SJ heads upstairs with Otis.
Once he's gone, Martha exhales.
"See? This is exactly what I mean. Will and I really need some privacy sometimes."
Sarah Lynn gives her daughter a sympathetic look.
"Well, if there's anything we can do to help make that happen."
"This is your house, Mom."
Sarah Lynn gently shakes her head.
"Our house. And it will always be your home too."
Martha smiles, appreciating the sentiment.
"I know."
Martha's phone begins ringing inside her purse.
"That'll probably him now," she says as she reaches for it.
She answers.
"Hey, babe."
Instead, she immediately hears a hesitant, "But..." in his voice.
Martha's expression changes.
"But what?"
Will pauses before explaining.
"I had to take Emma to the hospital."
Martha instinctively rolls her eyes at the interruption.
"Wait, what? Is she alright?"
Standing outside the triage area, Will keeps his voice low.
"She had this real bad headache and got dizzy. Almost passed out. I wasn't gonna take any chances."
Martha's concern grows.
"Is she okay now?"
"They're checking her out. I gotta stay here until we know what's going on."
Martha sighs.
"So, I guess dinner's off?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry. We're gonna have to take a rain check."
"It's alright. I mean, I'm not happy about it, but I understand."
Martha is about to ask whether Jacques has been notified but thinks better of it.
"Just keep me posted, okay?"
"Ai'ight. Again, I'm sorry."
They end the call.
Martha turns toward Sarah Lynn.
"That was Will. He had to take Emma to the hospital. She almost passed out at the club."
Sarah Lynn's expression immediately becomes concerned, knowing of her sister-in-law's pregnancy.
"Oh, goodness. I hope she's alright."
"Yeah, they're waiting for the results to come back."
Sarah Lynn looks at her daughter apologetically.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you were looking forward to your evening with him."
Martha shrugs.
"Eh, what can you do?"
She glances toward the staircase.
"I'm sure he'll make it up to you."
Martha heads upstairs, making the best of her unexpected free evening.
RADCLIFFE RECIEVING HOSPITAL
As the call ends with his girl, Will puts his phone back in his pants pocket, knowing that his night with her getting cut short isn't what is supposed to happen, but he also knows he can't leave Emma, at least not until they know what's causing her to nearly pass out.
He then returns to Emma's triage room, where she is lying in bed, hooked up to monitors tracking her vital signs.
She places her hand upon her pregnant bump.
"What in the hell is taking them so long with those results? Are they that bad?"
Will can spot some fear on her face, which genuinely makes him aware that she does care about this baby.
"Hey, look, don't go thinkin' the worst before you know anything, okay?"
A recognition of sorts comes over Emma.
"Uh, your dinner with Martha..."
"It's ai'ight. We're gonna do somethin' else another time."
Emma takes a sip of water from the Styrofoam cup she was given earlier to prevent dehydration.
"Oh, I bet she's pleased that she's not sharing a baby-back platter with you instead of knowing you're here with her pregnant aunt in Radcliffe Receiving's emergency department," she says suggestively.
Will shakes his head at the statement.
"Look, she understands, and we're gonna get our grub on another time, like I said. And anyway, gettin' you here is just as important too."
Emma recognizes that she has taken it too far, knowing not many people would do this for her without expecting something in return.
"I'm sorry," she admits.
Will looks at her in a way that clearly conveys his feelings.
"It's alright."
A few seconds pass before a set of approaching footsteps penetrates the area as Dr. Jamison, Emma's obstetrician, arrives wearing a white lab coat over a blouse and slacks while carrying her tablet.
"Hi, Emma. How are you feeling?"
"That depends on what those results state," Emma vocalizes.
"Well, I have them," the doctor notes, gesturing toward her electronic device.
Just as Dr. Jamison is about to explain the test results, Jacques makes it through triage and hurries into the room.
He goes straight to Emma's bedside.
"Is there any reason why my wife is in this poky space instead of an actual room?"
He then gives Will a sideways glance that says more than words ever could.
"I think your wife's condition is more important than her surroundings," Will remarks.
"Really, you think so?" Jacques retorts.
"Dr. Jamison, the results, please," Emma says, trying to cut the tension.
"Before you arrived, I was just about to inform your wife and her friend that she has gestational hypertension."
Emma tries to take in the information about her condition.
"That don't sound too good," Will replies.
Jacques subtly rolls his eyes at the obvious observation.
Dr. Jamison continues.
"Gestational hypertension can develop during pregnancy, particularly in women over thirty-five, and stress and overexertion can also contribute."
"So, Doctor, what you're saying is that my wife needs to take things easy?" Jacques queries.
"Absolutely," the physician says in agreement. "So, I'm going to discharge you as an outpatient, and I'm also going to prescribe you labetalol, which will help regulate your blood pressure. You'll need to take 100 milligrams twice a day."
"I'll make sure she takes it," Jacques says seriously.
Dr. Jamison hugs the device to her chest.
"That and also make sure that your wife gets plenty of rest. Please remember that she needs to avoid unnecessary stress. And, uh, for the time being, avoid any strenuous activity, including sexual intercourse, until I clear you."
That last instruction causes Jacques to react silently.
Across the room, Will merely shakes his head, recalling how he found those two together all those years ago, which ultimately ended their relationship.
"And one more thing: if your symptoms come back or worsen, please come back here immediately."
She then excuses herself, prompting an assortment of appreciation aimed her way.
"Thanks for getting her here, but I think I can handle it from here," Jacques says in a restrained manner.
Will almost fires back but decides against it, knowing Emma doesn't need any tension right now.
"Listen to the doc, which I know you don't wanna do, but..."
"I know," Emma says meaningfully.
Resisting the urge to give Jacques the finger, Will exits triage.
Emma then turns to her husband and sighs.
"I thought I almost lost the baby," she confesses.
Remaining beside her, Jacques' voice softens.
"Well, you didn't, and I'll do anything I can to maintain that until it's time for you to bring him into this world."
He kisses her forehead gently before resting his hand on her growing belly.
HOME FARM
Despite the utmost unease she feels even in this house, let alone his office, Jordan knows she has to do what she can to maintain her marriage and family, even if it means consorting with the devil incarnate himself.
"I have something to say to you that's important."
Daniel folds his arms across his chest, looking completely unbothered.
"Well, I don't know how important it is. It has to be something tough if you want to talk to me in private," he says coolly.
"Well, you know about your son's and my impending divorce and the fact that he is planning to move to Minnesota to live with his precious Tanner, leaving his son behind here?"
"Now, Jordan, anyone who's been married to you for more than five minutes would want to run for the hills too."
Jordan scoffs.
"I mean, Daniel, if you knew what I know, you might not be so quick to say that."
From seeing the documents on Tommy's phone, Jordan saw PDF files linking father and son to the ousting of Jacques from the Covington Group because of the so-called disaster involving the Miami land deal. Now, she is determined to use that information against them to get what she wants: her family intact.
Daniel remains unmoved.
"Okay," he says in his authoritative voice. "Whatever thing you got stirred up in your little mind, I advise you to be careful about it."
"Daniel, that wasn't a threat, was it? Because when I tell you what I know, it'll be too late to do something like that and take it back," she pushes back.
Daniel studies her carefully.
"What exactly are you getting at, Jordan?"
Jordan begins reaching into her purse for her iPhone, preparing to show him what she has.
Before she can, there's a knock at the office door.
Tommy enters reluctantly, surprised to find Jordan willingly in the same room as his father.
"What is going on in here?" he quickly asks.
"I echo my son's sentiment."
Thinking quickly, Jordan changes course.
"I came to see your father about trying to persuade you to change your mind about us splitting up and you taking off to Minnesota with Tanner, leaving our son behind. Imagine the effect it will have on him."
While Tommy shakes his head at her response, Daniel doesn't believe her explanation for a second. However, he decides to play along.
"I have no intention of instructing my son to give up everything, including the girl he actually loves, to uphold the farce you think you have with him."
The younger Covington male turns to his wife with a look that clearly says otherwise.
"I think we should be heading out."
With little choice, she reluctantly follows him out of the office.
After Daniel stands to close the office door behind them, he doesn't waste any time confronting her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing showing up here to talk to my father?"
Jordan places her hands on her hips.
"How'd you know I was even here, Tommy?"
"That's not important," he notes. "What were you really doing here?"
Jordan becomes more emotional, though she doesn't shed a tear.
"I still can't believe our marriage has come to this."
Some bit of empathy he has left keeps Tommy in check.
"You know I still love you," she admits wholeheartedly.
He sighs before replying.
"Look, in the next few weeks or so, a lot is going to change, and you're going to have to accept it regardless, okay?"
Jordan turns and slowly walks toward the grand staircase.
After a reluctant pause, Tommy follows her before they exit the mansion and head back toward the guest house.
END OF EPISODE
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Tanner has an unexpected encounter.
Micah's caught off guard.
Elijah warns Tommy.
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