EPISODE 391
Written by: Bre L Drew
June 9, 2026
Last Time on Town and Country
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Antoine, alongside Jes and Esther, put their heads together to repair things between Gus and Mae after she turned down his marriage proposal.
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While Jacques was preparing to leave for the Miller Inn to meet Aaliyah, Emma revealed that he was going to be a father,causing him not to reply to her.
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Courtney attempted to make things right with Steven after he discovered she had kissed Jacques last year, though he wasn't particularly receptive.
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Since learning that Jolene planned to move back to California and restart her life, Tricia started feeling as though something was missing from her own.
THE WATERFALL BAR: JACKSON APARTMENT
Tossing in the last of the ingredients into the pot on the stove in the kitchenette of the apartment above The Waterfall Bar this spring evening, Antoine Hall is making seafood gumbo while the latest single by Alex Isley plays from his iPhone on the nearby counter.
Satisfied with the product simmering on the stove, Antoine accepts a beer bottle from Jes Choudhury as she steps beside him.
"Thanks, I can use this right 'bout now," he tells her.
The strikingly gorgeous attorney is wearing a saffron-colored one-shoulder satin mini dress with pumps.
"Is it safe to say that, so far, so good?" Jes asks cautiously.
Tonight, they're planning to do something about reuniting Gus and Mae. The elders are both being stubborn because Mae turned down his proposal, though everyone knows how much they care about each other. They're hoping that dinner will be a step in the right direction.
"Well, I ain't countin' my chickens before they hatch, but I don't think neither of them can resist my cookin'."
Jes smirks, knowing firsthand of a good cook her boyfriend is.
"Well, if the worst-case scenario happens, at least they'll be fed."
Antoine gives her a look that says he hopes it doesn't come to that.
"Esther comin' up with the dinner thing and us bein' here was a good idea without it comin' off like an ambush."
Mae's closest friend had also intervened, knowing Mae was more miserable than she let on about the situation.
Jes has been unusually quiet for some time now, and Antoine notices.
"Hey, where were you? You alright?"
Jes had been thinking about her growing relationship of sorts with Samuel. She knows she's involved with Antoine, though it hasn't stopped her from viewing the lifelong family friend in a new light.
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about work."
"Is that all it is?" Antoine asks, knowing she has seemed distracted lately.
Jes nods obligingly.
"I've just got a lot on my plate without having an assistant at the moment, but I promise I won't think about any more of that for the rest of the night."
Antoine gives her a peck on the lips.
"That's what I wanna hear."
"It smells so good in here," Mae Jackson says as she enters the kitchen.
The bar owner is wearing a jade petal-sleeve blouse with nearly matching slacks, and her hair is arranged in a neat bun with tasteful jewelry.
"That it does," Jes agrees.
"Jes, what you got on makes me feel so underdressed, though it does look good on you."
"Ah, thank you, Mae, but you look great yourself."
"Ain't that for sure?" Antoine says while planting a kiss on the older woman's cheek before checking on the gumbo.
A knock at the door gets everyone's attention.
"Now I wonder who that is?" Mae says.
Simultaneously, Jes and Antoine exchange a knowing glance as Jes goes to answer it.
A few seconds later, she returns with Gus Hewitt, dressed dressy-casual and holding a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine.
"Hi," Mae says awkwardly to her estranged lover.
"How you doin', Mae?" he asks with more ease.
Meanwhile, Jes attempts to lighten the mood by taking the flowers from the older gentleman.
"Uh, I'll put these in water. Antoine, can you show me where I can place them?"
"Are you alright with this?" Gus questions the woman he once envisioned a future with.
"I think I can handle dinner," she replies.
Mae then turns toward Antoine with a look that says she knows exactly what he's doing. If looks could kill, she'd certainly be trying her best right now.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
The night surrounds Radcliffe, including Franklin Farm, as familiar animal noises echo throughout the acreage. Inside the main house, dinner has just been finished by the various members of the Saunders family, most of whom are still gathered in the kitchen. Coincidentally, Otis, the growing black-and-white border collie, runs around the room.
Martha Saunders notices her son finishing up his slice of apple pie at the table as she stands beside him near the counter.
"Alright, mister, it's bath time."
"Already?" the almost-second grader asks.
"Yeah, but summer is only a few weeks away, and you'll be able to stay up a little later, okay?"
"Fine," the brown-haired boy sighs in defeat.
He leaves the table as Martha calls out that she'll be upstairs soon.
"He is keeping you on your toes, isn't he?" Sarah Lynn Saunders says over the running water while washing dishes.
Martha grabs the plate and fork that now hold only crumbs.
"That he is," Martha nods.
Otis lets out a few barks and manages to follow SJ out of the kitchen.
Besides Sarah Lynn, Martha's boyfriend and boarder, Will Jackson, dries dishes with a cloth in hand.
"Before you know it, he's gonna be shavin'."
"Bite your tongue," Martha says semi-seriously. "He's going to stay my precious little boy for a few more years."
The doorbell rings unexpectedly, prompting Sarah Lynn, who has finished washing the dishes, to answer it, leaving the couple alone.
"Hey," Will calls out to her.
"What?" Martha asks.
He places an arm around her and kisses the nape of her neck.
"When was the last time you and I had some alone time?"
Martha turns to her lover and scoffs.
"Under this roof? I can't even tell you."
Will sucks his teeth at that, knowing the two haven't had much time together around her family, even though he loves them dearly as his own.
"Look, we're gonna find some time together. You hear me?"
Soon thereafter, Sarah Lynn returns to the kitchen alongside Steven Sullivan.
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" Steven asks, seeing that dinner has only recently wrapped up.
Sarah Lynn turns to him before shaking her head in dismay.
"You're absolutely not. Besides, your family, and you know you're always welcome here. Though I know you wanted to speak to Esther."
Steven nods knowingly, having been informed by his aunt that his mother isn’t home.
"I just needed to talk to her about something."
Will glances at the clock on the wall before responding.
"I'd better get outta here; I need to get to the club. Y'all have a good night."
Will, of course, manages the local nightclub, The Cliffe.
"You too," Steven murmurs.
"Be careful on the road," Sarah Lynn says cautiously.
Will then places a respectful kiss on Martha's lips before exiting the room.
Martha folds her arms across her chest.
"I know I'm not Aunt Esther, but I'll lend you an ear," she says to her first cousin.
At first, Steven appears somewhat apprehensive, though he gives a slight nod to indicate he appreciates the offer.
"I'll go upstairs and make sure SJ is actually in the tub and gets into his PJs," Sarah Lynn offers as she walks out of the kitchen.
“Thanks, Mom,” She then turns to Steven. “I'll make us some coffee, and then we can chat... oh God, I'm sounding like her," Martha says, recognizing her mother's tendency to do exactly that at times.
THE CHATEAU
Classical string music plays throughout The Chateau this evening while patrons partake in their meals and, for some, various degrees of conversation with their company. For better or worse, Aaliyah Gupta makes up part of that population; however, she is out with her parents tonight, all three of them having dinner together.
Across from her at the table, Jai Gupta notices his daughter is mostly silent, prompting him to speak.
"I'm sorry if it feels like we're leaving you out," Jai remarks genuinely.
Simultaneously, Aaliyah reaches for her glass of prosecco, needing a drink.
"Well, it's not every day you're parents’ third wheel.”
"Don't say that." Jai pleads.
Mala Gupta, who takes a bite of her asparagus, sets her fork down.
"Your father is right. And anyway, we thought it had been a long time since we had a nice dinner out as a family. It's just a pity your brother couldn't make it due to having a late shift at the hospital."
Aaliyah is somewhat impressed that her mother is being cordial, as their relationship is delicate at times.
Mala takes a small bite of her halibut.
"Jes told me you turned down her offer of being her assistant at her firm. Why on earth would you do that, Aaliyah?"
The statement, of course, causes Jai to come to her defense while Aaliyah takes a sip of her wine.
"Well, that was too good to be true," Aaliyah states.
"I don't think we should be discussing this right now," Jai says defensively.
"Look, I could understand if you had options, but not one company has given you even one interview. I just don't understand you sometimes," Mala says critically.
"I'm sorry for being such a loser," Aaliyah replies sharply.
As Jai does his best to mediate, Aaliyah notices Jacques Laurent and Emma Covington Laurent being shown to a table by the same host who greeted her family earlier.
"You would think with him being out of the company, they wouldn't have much to celebrate," Mala says of her former colleague, who had been voted out by the board.
"Who says they're celebrating anything?" Jai asks. "Maybe they're here just to grab a bite to eat."
"At the only fine dining restaurant in all of Radcliffe? I don't think so," she replies in her British accent.
Aaliyah grabs her purse from the table.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."
With that, she hurries away, leaving her parents alone.
"Was that necessary, Mala?" Jai asks.
"I don't know why you both think I try to hurt her when I bring up something she doesn’t want to hear. I just happened to point out that she could be working at a growing law firm, that's all."
"Maybe she doesn't want to do it because she thinks you value Jes more than you do her."
"I do not."
Jai gives his wife a look that suggests otherwise.
"Let's not talk about that right now," she says quickly. "It's bad enough our son, and she wants to be together."
Jai takes a sip of his beer.
"Well, as long as she's with Antoine, we won't have to worry about that. Anyway, I think we should reconsider what we talked about before."
"Like you said, Jai, not right now," Mala mutters while taking a drink of pinot noir.
Meanwhile, Aaliyah had kept an eye on Jacques after seeing him head toward the restroom, and she followed. As Emma remains seated at their table, Jacques emerges from the men's room and immediately spots the young woman he has recently been intimate with, even though she is married.
"Aaliyah, I didn't see you there," he says in his unmistakable French accent.
"I don't mean to come off as desperate, but I deserve an explanation as to why you have been ignoring me,” she retorts.
HOPE COTTAGE
As the doorbell rings throughout Hope Cottage this evening, Courtney Covington Sullivan, dressed in a taupe striped V-neck cardigan and dark pants, descends the stairs toward the front door. Once she pulls it open, she is somewhat surprised yet relieved to see Tricia Lockhart standing in the doorway.
"You have no idea how glad I am to see a friendly face," Courtney says, welcoming her dearest friend.
"Well, it must be something then, because not too many people have said that about me before," Tricia quips.
The café manager is dressed in a black, ruffled, tie-neck, sleeveless top and blue jeans, her handbag slung over her shoulder.
Courtney shuts the door behind them, and Tricia immediately senses that something is wrong. The two have only communicated recently through texts and the occasional phone call, both of which have been brief.
"What's going on?" Tricia asks, somewhat concerned.
The two women head into the kitchen as Courtney goes back and forth in her mind about whether or not to be completely open with her friend.
"Wine?"
"Uh, yeah, sounds good."
"Red or white?"
"Red?"
Courtney retrieves a bottle from the wine rack in the corner of the kitchen and grabs two wine glasses. She pours each of them a glass of cabernet before handing one to Tricia, who is now seated at the table. Courtney soon joins her.
"You might want to drink once I tell you about it," Courtney notes.
"Again, what's going on, Courtney?"
Courtney lets out a long exhale while tucking strands of her brown hair behind one ear.
"Last year, when I was away in Miami for business, Jacques and I kissed in his hotel room, which Steven now knows about."
The revelation causes Tricia to take a pensive sip of her wine as she processes what she has just been told.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
At this point, Steven is sitting at the kitchen table while Martha walks over with two cups of coffee. She places one in front of him and keeps the other as she sits down beside him.
"So, what is up? Don't tell me Evan is giving you more gray hairs?" she laughs, knowing that her cousin's son threw an unsupervised party that went too far, having heard about it from the family, of course.
Steven holds the cup in his hands as tendrils of steam rise and dissipate.
"Let's just say the punishment I gave to Evan might make him rethink throwing parties like that for a long time to come... but that's just the tip of the damn iceberg."
He then takes a hearty sip of the hot caffeinated beverage.
Martha lets him take his time, though she grows slightly impatient.
"Sometime today, cus."
Steven gives a chuckle of sorts before responding.
"While my son was throwing a house party, Courtney and I were away at that spa in Hudson Lake trying to reconnect... or at least I thought we were until she got a call from the desk clerk at that hotel in Miami where she stayed during that business trip last year."
"Okay," Martha says, attempting to follow along while taking a sip of her coffee.
" I answered the phone while she was in the shower, and he told me they had found her earring."
"I'm not understanding the plot," Martha vocalizes.
"You know patience was never your strong suit," Steven remarks half-jokingly. "That earring happened to be found in Jacques' hotel suite," Steven concludes.
At first, Martha doesn't understand where he's going with this until her mind starts to put the pieces together, and she reacts quickly when she does.
"Wait a minute, you're not saying that Courtney and Jacques..." She stops herself from saying the obvious conclusion.
"Well, she says it was just one kiss... I dunno."
"Look, me saying this is no defense of her, but I don't think she would've kept that from you."
"Well, she kept that kiss from me for that same amount of time... but I always knew there was some sort of spark between them, which they acted on."
"I guess our aunt sure can pick 'em," she says of their newly discovered aunt, who's only a few years older than she is and younger than Steven, who’s married to him.
"I just wish Courtney didn’t admit that she is enticed by him... Hey, can I ask you something? And be real with me."
"Shoot."
“Do you think I’m too practical or boring, and that’s why it went down?”
Martha sets her cup down before turning to him.
"C'mon, that's nonsense. There’s nothing wrong with being practical, and you’re in no way boring, and even if you were, it wouldn’t matter because you’re one of the best guys I know. And from what I'm hearing, it just sounds like it was one of those spur-of-the-moment situations that, when it happens, you wish to God you could take back."
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience," Steven says.
Martha tucks her feet underneath herself in the chair. "Oh yeah, I've definitely had a few moments I'm not too proud of."
Steven makes a slight nod, as though trying to take her words to heart.
"I just wish I could get two minutes with that asshole," Steven remarks regarding Jacques.
"Look, here are my two cents: it’s no denying what they did was messed up, and I don't know what Courtney was thinking in that moment, but don't let one mistaken kiss screw up what you two have. So, just hash it all out—the good and the bad—and let that be that."
Steven takes a sip of his coffee, uncertain about the advice, though he knows there's some merit to it.
HOPE COTTAGE
Now on her second glass, Tricia finally gains enough composure to wrap her head around it.
"Look, you know that I have zero room to judge," Tricia remarks, knowing her own sordid history with being involved with people she shouldn't have been. "And I'm not going to, no matter how you answer this, but is there any attraction between you and Jacques?"
Courtney takes a sip of the cabernet before responding.
"I do, okay... but I didn't set out to get involved with him in that way. It's all complicated, and Steven and I have hardly spoken since he found out. He's been sleeping on the couch, and he refuses to talk about it. I don't know, Tricia; I only wish things weren't so damn complicated right now."
"Well, you just better hope that it doesn't get out," Tricia says. "Imagine your aunt's reaction if she did find out."
It is well known that Courtney and Emma aren't close, and having this hanging over their heads would further damage their already fraught relationship.
"I've been thinking about that too," Courtney confesses. "Anyway, enough about me. How are you?"
Tricia takes another drink of wine before speaking.
"Well, in a turn of events, my life isn't as dramatic as yours."
"Yes, that is peculiar," Courtney says with a modest chuckle.
"My mother was going through literal hell only six months ago, and now her life is so together that she's moving back to California. Meanwhile, other than choosing the right kind of snacks, my life is at a bit of a standstill. I don't know... I've never been this unfufilled in my life."
"And?" Courtney asks, egging her friend on.
"What do you mean, 'and'?"
"Oh, come on, Tricia. Are you feeling this way partly because deep down you still have feelings for Sean?"
Tricia grabs her glass and tilts her head.
"I plead the fifth."
"Ha," Courtney remarks. "I take that as confirmation."
"Well, Sean and I have been getting friendlier again, and before you say it, I know he's with Louise. Even when we were married, he always went back to her. I don't know... maybe I need some kind of change myself?"
"How in the world did we get here?" Courtney wonders.
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Tricia keeps her glass in her hand.
"We have some shit to figure out, don't we?"
Courtney also picks up her wine glass.
"That we do."
The two clink glasses in solidarity.
THE WATERFALL BAR: JACKSON APARTMENT
Elsewhere in the apartment, dinner commences, and the two couples are mostly eating. Utensils clinking against their porcelain bowls, alongside servings of cornbread and the bottle of wine Gus brought, while R&B music plays softly in the background.
Gus, after swallowing a spoonful of gumbo, is the first to break the silence among them.
"The food is slammin'," he compliments.
"It sure is," Mae says in agreement.
Both Antoine and Jes trade a similar look before he responds.
Antoine takes a bite of his cornbread.
"Glad y'all like it."
Jes sips some of her wine, unsure whether their plan is going according to plan.
"About time the weather is getting nicer," Jes comments.
"Yeah, winter held on too long this time," Mae replies diplomatically.
Quietness then falls upon them again, with neither Mae nor Gus finding themselves willing to speak to one another, despite everyone hoping they would.
"Um, Jes," Antoine starts, taking a napkin to wipe his mouth before setting it down on the placemat. "I need some help with somethin'."
It doesn't take long for the attorney to understand what her boyfriend is getting at, so she rises from her seat and follows him toward his bedroom, leaving the pair alone.
This time, Mae speaks.
"I don't know what's funnier—them acting like we don't know what they're doin', or the way we've been behaving."
Gus sets his spoon into the half-empty bowl of food.
"You telling me."
His tone softens.
"I hope you know I never wanted to hurt you. That was never my goal when I asked you to marry me."
Mae exhales, knowing they couldn't avoid this topic forever.
"You aren't that kinda guy, Gus."
"Look, I gotta tell you, I asked you to marry me because you're the first person I thought of that way since I lost my wife, and I thought you felt that way too. I'm sorry I put that type of pressure on you."
Unbeknownst to them, Antoine and Jes are peeking through the partially opened bedroom door while managing to keep a low profile.
"I get all of that, and I appreciate it too, but I..."
Mae stops herself before deciding to continue.
"It's just... you're the first man I've felt something for since Horace, and that scared me. Still scares me. But I know I gotta live my life, and I want you in it."
The confession catches Gus off guard.
"You sure you wanna spend the rest of your life with some ole janitor?"
"Gus, you are more than some job title. You're someone special, and I don't give one damn what you do as long as it's respectable and an honest living."
Her eyes drift to a framed photo on a nearby stand of her and Horace during their thirtieth anniversary trip to Niagara
Falls, where they had originally honeymooned all those years ago. They had been so happy to return there, never knowing that within a few years she would lose him.
She then turns back toward Gus, knowing exactly what she wants.
"Ask me again."
Gus doesn't waste any time. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ring.
"Mae Jackson, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"Yes," she answers meaningfully.
He immediately moves over and kisses her.
Behind the bedroom door, Jes and Antoine are equally thrilled that their plan has finally come together.
"Won't you look at that? That's what I call love," Antoine says excitedly.
Jes, seeing just how much Mae and Gus truly care for one another and witnessing the depth of their love, finds herself thinking even more about Samuel and how she doesn't feel that way about Antoine, which further prompts her to question things.
"I see it," she finally says.
THE CHATEAU
Jacques quickly pulls Aaliyah aside to ensure they won’t be overheard by the few other diners coming in and out, as he would rather not take that chance.
“Aaliyah, it isn’t what you think, okay,” Jacques starts.
The tall, suave, and handsome man is dressed in one of his signature suits, paired with a designer tie and loafers.
“Then tell me, Jacques. I’ve been foolishly waiting around to hear from you for a week or so now. It makes me think you’re trying to take the coward’s way out of whatever is going on between us,” Aaliyah candidly states.
Jacques lowers his voice as he stares directly at her.
“That night we were going to meet up at our place, something unexpected occurred.”
Aaliyah tilts her head as if to say whatever it was is no excuse for ignoring her altogether.
“You couldn’t have told me that over the phone or by text, Jacques?” she asks.
“It’s a little more... delicate than that.”
“Oh, really?” Aaliyah asks challengingly.
As Jacques is about to respond, out of the blue, Emma makes her way toward them, having just come out of the women’s restroom.
“So, this is where you got off to,” she notes before looking at Aaliyah and taking her in. “Aaliyah, hi. What’s going on here?”
Jacques remains silent while Aaliyah takes in the wealthy heiress, who is dressed in a hunter-green sleeveless cocktail dress with gold print, her handbag tucked beneath her arm.
“Hi, Emma. I was just having dinner with my parents here and, of course, my mother said some insulting things to me because of my lack of direction in life. I came over here to get away for a minute and ran into your husband, who was giving me some words of encouragement,” she lies, causing Jacques to nod in support.
Emma looks between the younger woman and her husband.
“Well, as someone whose mother has never stopped insulting her, I empathize with you. And if you need someone to talk to, then I’m available,” Emma offers.
“I appreciate that,” Aaliyah tells her.
Jacques reaches for his wife’s hand while still glancing at the woman who could make his life very difficult if the truth ever came out.
“Maybe this news will make you feel a bit better,” Emma says meaningfully.
“What news would that be?” Aaliyah asks eagerly.
Jacques, who is beginning to realize where this is headed, tries to interrupt his wife.
“Emma, I don’t think—”
"It’s not like it's a secret anymore, for better or worse, and I'm past the worst of it anyway." She smiles. "Jacques and I are expecting. I'm due in the fall."
The announcement leaves Aaliyah stunned at first. However, she gradually recovers, not wanting to draw attention to her reaction, which Jacques notices as his hand remains clasped with his wife’s.
“Oh my God, congratulations to you—and to you too, Papa,” Aaliyah says, directing the last remark more pointedly toward him.
The expression on Jacques’s face shifts, knowing the situation could have gone much worse. At the same time, he realizes Emma’s pregnancy is definitely going to affect things in his relationship with Aaliyah.
As Emma remains unaware of the truth, Aaliyah throws Jacques a look that silently indicates exactly that.
END OF EPISODE
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Steven and Courtney continue to struggle.
Presley offers guidance.
Daniel starts conspiring.
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