EPISODE 301
Written by: Bre L Drew
July 15, 2024
Last Time on Town and Country
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Daniel invited Jacques to move into Home Farm to turn the tables on him. This way, Daniel aims to end Jacques' marriage to Emma and stop his blackmail of Deirdre.
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Assisting Courtney in securing a corporate deal led to her hiring Jacques at the Covington Group.
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Will wasn't keen on discovering that Emma and Jacques eloped, which Emma is apologetic about.
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Steven went to Orlando to spend time with his son Evan.
HOME FARM
By now, it had been morning for several hours, as the summer day in Radcliffe. However, inside the spacious, luxurious living room of the mansion on the Home Farm estate, moods are less bright as Deirdre Covington, who had arrived the previous night back in town from her holiday to Martha's Vineyard, finds out from her son that her new son-in-law hasn't been deported or shot out of a cannon.
"So, how is Gaston settling in?" Deirdre asks him while she sits on the sofa with a cup of tea, desiring something stronger.
Sitting across from her in the leather armchair. Daniel says, "He's being on his best behavior, but I doubt it will last."
The ex-CEO had invited his brother-in-law to live with them, hoping he would do something that would cause him to not only have Emma end their sham marriage but to get him out of their lives for good.
Deirdre is about to vocalize her frustration further when footsteps seize their conversation when the man of the hour penetrates the room, heading over to the properly stocked mini bar.
"Isn't this a beautiful morning?" the French man says while fixing himself a vodka soda.
"How are you settling in?" Daniel asks, trying his best not to overtip his hand.
"It is close to noon, by the way," the millionaire widow chimes.
The charismatically attractive man is wearing a short-sleeve blue cotton polo shirt with dark slacks ignores the woman he's blackmailing with her long-ago affair with Esther Saunders's father, which he believes it was when his wife was conceived. "Much better since all of my things have arrived, thank you. I wish my bride was here instead of that club."
"If only you had a purpose outside this house," Deirdre murmured while sipping her tea.
Jacques sets his irritant gaze on the older woman and then onto Daniel. "Well, I suppose this is just as good a time as any to announce that starting next week. I will be joining the family business when I start work at the Covington Group."
The statement makes both mother and son exchange weary glances.
THE CLIFFE
Emma Laurent is actively catching up on paperwork in her office on the second story of The Cliffe, occasionally humming to the songs playing from last year's Spotify Wrapped list on her iPad.
While signing her name on a document that requests her signature, an overtly familiar voice immediately captures her attention.
"Are my eyes deceivin' me, or is Emma Covington actually in her office workin'?"
The nightclub owner places her tablet on the desk while Will Jackson steps inside,
"I guess I deserve that," she replies amicably. "And it's Laurent now, but you already know that."
Will smiles deceptively, recalling how Jacques purposely let it slip off their elopement during their last interaction at The Chateau. The nightclub manager was surprised, even though they had broken up some time ago when he caught them in bed together during Christmas last year.
"Oh, your husband made sure of that." he sneers.
"I did not want you to find out like that," Emma remarks candidly.
Will waves his hand dismissively. "Don't matter what I think; it ain't my life he's gonna screw up."
Despite the even tone, she can hear the sarcasm in his voice, causing her to react.
"I get you are still hurt by what happened with us, but if we are going to continue to work together, I think we should get some things straight, shall we?"
HOPE COTTAGE
Despite her ever-growing responsibilities as CEO at the Covington Group, Courtney Covington Sullivan trusts in the team of executives she assigned to tend to the utmost tasks involving the property development company her grandfather founded fifty years ago.
It is also why she felt more than capable of leaving them in charge of it while she took a personal day off since her husband is coming home today after visiting his son out of town.
Already dressed for the day, Courtney is finishing up getting ready before heading out to the airport so she can pick him up.
However, she suddenly turns when she hears the noise of the front door opening. Not long after, Steven Sullivan wheels his suitcase inside.
His sudden appearance shocks yet elates Courtney since she hadn't expected to see him until later.
"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought I was meeting you at the airport later." Courtney notes.
The handsome veterinarian was wearing a green dip-dyed t-shirt and blue jeans. Another sign of his enjoyment of the Florida sun is the medium bronze tan he's currently sporting.
"We decided to take an earlier flight out," he answers. "Hope I didn't ruin your plans." He chuckles good-naturedly.
He and Esther had gone to Orlando for Evan's elementary school graduation.
It doesn't take long for him to wrap his arms around his considerably younger and shorter wife.
"Well, I will try not to hold it against you." she finally states.
The two lean in for a passionate kiss before they stop and head upstairs to their bedroom, leaving his possessions downstairs.
HOME FARM
It does not take long for Daniel to react to finding out that Jacques will be working in any capacity at the multi-million-dollar property development firm he helped shape. "Who, in their right mind, would hire you to work at my company?"
"With all due respect, Daniel, last time I checked, you weren't in charge of Covington anymore. Your daughter is, and she is the one who recruited me." He then sips his vodka soda.
Deirdre couldn't help but think her granddaughter didn't simply hire him out of the kindness of her heart. "How did you weasel your derrière into my late husband's life work?"
Jacques scoffs, feigning modesty. "I paid a visit to Courtney the other day when I assisted her in securing the business of Mr. Lange for a new project with a guaranteed rate that would benefit him and Covington in the long run.
Daniel knows from his years of experience that Lange is not simply someone who gets on board until he has to, though it makes him incensed that he isn't in charge of running Covington due to Jordan revealing that he gaslit her at the board meeting last year, resulting in Courtney being named CEO which isn't the right choice due to her decision to employ someone as sleazy as Jacques.
"I better enjoy the time I have left off before I become a member of the working society. Au revoir." The dark-haired man clutches his drink, exiting the room towards the grand staircase.
"Do you know a number for a hitman?" Daniel sarcastically comments to his mother.
Even though she can hear the irreverence in his voice, Deirdre instantly dwells on her hiring someone to cut Will's car brake line, which causes Emma to wind up in a coma.
"We cannot let Jacques Laurent make a mockery of this family," Deirdre says solemnly.
HOPE COTTAGE
With Steven having been away for what seemed like a lifetime, he and Courtney were making up for lost time as the two now lay beside each other in their king-size bed in their bedroom, their sheets covering their naked bodies post-sex.
"You remember those plans I told you about when I thought I was picking you up from the airport?" Courtney queries breathlessly.
"Yeah?"
"I completely forgot what they were," she laughs.
Steven tenderly kisses her forehead, having greatly missed her. "I'm glad I hadn't lost my touch."
Courtney runs her hand through her long brown hair. Her smile hasn't left her face. "Far from it," she winks. So, what is it like to have a middle schooler for a kid?"
"He has shot up so much since I last saw him. At this rate, he's practically a teenager."
"I bet Esther loved having her grandson nearby when you were down there."
"She spoiled him rotten the whole time, especially when we went to Disney World, and she enjoyed every minute of doing so too."
"And Lorraine?" Courtney asks.
Steven is aware his wife isn't the biggest fan of his ex-wife for good reason since her father had managed to get her to try to break them up when they were first seeing one another, yet she came clean at the last minute, although not for her stepson; she wouldn't have any use for the woman.
Something comes over Steven like it immediately dawned upon him.
"You're not going to believe this; Lorraine is engaged."
Courtney's eyebrows arch in amazement. "Really?"
Steven nods. "Emilio popped the question to her about a month ago. It seems like they're in love."
She and Emilio Perez had been seeing each other for some time now. The two met as teachers at the same performing arts high school.
"Well, good for her," Courtney says somewhat genuinely.
"Anyway, what's going on here? Steven says he changed the subject from his former wife.
Thinking of what has transpired since he left town makes Courtney exhale while gathering her thoughts. "Where to start? Lenny is going to need a bone marrow transplant."
"Yeah, I heard. Mom called Aunt Sarah Lynn to check in. I hope somebody in the family will be a match," he says of his young cousin battling leukemia.
The two then talk briefly about her brother and his cousin's graduation from Sampson, which Steven said he saw photos of on Facebook.
"And the pièce de résistance, Emma and Jacques, are now husband and wife."
"You joking?" he asks incredulously.
"They eloped in Puerto Rico, and my father and grandmother are far from pleased about it."
"Don't tell him I said this, but I agree with your father; Jacques Laurent isn't someone you trust."
"Hell has truly frozen over," she says frivolously. "Let's not forget my aunt is hardly a shrinking violet; I'm sure she can handle whatever Jacques may or may not do."
Steven gives her a quizzical gaze, knowing how the two became friendly last year. "At least we do not have to deal with Jacques Laurent on a daily basis."
Though waiting for a response that never comes, Courtney gives him an uneasy glance. "Why are you looking like you want to tell me something, but for some reason, you don't?"
Courtney turns to him. "I hired Jacques to come work at Covington. The news affects Steven, as he becomes taken aback by the reveal. And before you say anything, he helped me secure a client; besides, if he plans to stay in the country, he needs employment."
"Are you sure you are doing this out of the kindness of your heart, or is it something else?"
At first, she is about to deny it before she realizes what her husband is getting at with her. "Steven, Jacques, and I are acquaintances; that's it. I had hoped you left all your suspicions about it in the past."
Steven gets out of bed, revealing his perfect nude physique as he puts on a pair of boxers from their drawer. "I'm going to take a shower; how about ordering us some lunch? I'm starving."
He quickly dwells on the secret he's keeping along with his mother. Emma is the product of his wife's grandmother's affair with his grandfather due to a covert DNA test they had run about two years ago.
While he steps into their en suite bathroom, Courtney remains in bed, detesting that their disagreement is her husband's homecoming; nonetheless, she can't believe he is still insecure over their friendship.
THE CLIFFE
Will slightly moves his head to indicate he isn't in the mood for them to hash out their baggage.
"I know that I can apologize until the cows come home about how wrong I was for sleeping with Jacques when we were together," she replies from her desk. "But you so easily believed him about something that hadn't occurred."
Last year, her future husband told her something sexual happened between him and Emma, though it didn't. Will made it clear he didn't, and Emma sought comfort from Jacques, resulting in Will catching them after having sex and ending their relationship.
"Well, I guess he must've had a crystal ball or a psychic on speed dial because' you guys ended up hunchin'," he retorts.
Emma takes a strand of her neck-length brown hair behind her ear. "But I refuse to be attacked by you every time we're together."
The nightclub manager scoffs, not wanting to be chastised like he's some damn child.
"And I do not have to tolerate it anymore. Outside these walls, you can refer to me as the biggest bitch and slut that's ever lived! But when we are working, I'm your boss! And I deserve respect! Because if you cannot, then maybe we should reconsider some things." Emma expresses herself vehemently.
He tilts his head; unaware she was going to tell him that. "Well, I'll be downstairs at the bar if you need me."
With him exiting the room, Emma looks at her hand and says that her wedding ring is tiring of having to defend her choices to her brother, mother, and especially Will.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Antoine tries to cover his tracks.
Jordan confronts Tommy regarding the state of their marriage.
Max and Shauna make up for lost time.
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