EPISODE 213
Written by: Bre L. Drew
December 5, 2022
Last Time on Town and Country
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Friends and family gathered to say goodbye to baby Dylan at his memorial service; later, at the wake at The Waterfall, Sean lashed out at Samuel.
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While picking up takeout for Emma, Will overheard that Jacques and she had dinner, which she kept from him.
THE WATERFALL BAR
Tricia Lockhart hadn't expected to see her own husband getting into a testosterone-filled confrontation with Samuel in the middle of their late son's wake. So, when he came over to her, she instantly told him they needed to talk in private, hence why they were outside in the bar parking lot on this forty-degree afternoon.
"Of all damn days, you decide to go off at our son's wake!" Tricia expresses herself deeply.
Sean Lockhart puts his hands in his coat pocket to keep warm, cursing himself for leaving his gloves in his truck.
"Now you're talking to me now," he retorts. "Earlier, you couldn't be near me; I tried to take care of you, but you didn't let me; but when Samuel comes, you lean on him."
Tricia recalls telling him about her two-month-old son's unexpected death from SIDS just the other day. Sean must have seen them together, which makes him think back to them kissing last year.
"Look, we can talk about all this at home." she insists. "Let's go back inside and try to make it through the rest of the day together." Tricia states
Sean shakes his head at that thought.
"I can't do this right now."
With that, the farm manager takes his keys out of his pocket and walks to his truck.
"Where are you going?"
"I can't do this right now," he repeats to her as he gets into his car.
"Sean!" she exclaims louder than she should.
Tricia watches him start the truck and then take it out of the parking lot, causing more confusion.
After standing for a few more seconds, she decides to go back inside the establishment as the cold is getting to her, not to mention Sean isn't coming back anytime soon.
When she gets back inside, the subtle folk-rock rhythms of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" fill the atmosphere. Fortunately, it appears that her close friends had moved on to their designated areas of the bar.
She sees Courtney Covington Sullivan heading her way in a black sleeveless blazer dress with dark stockings and her long brown hair in large curls.
She could already see the tenseness on her face.
"Are you all right?"
Tricia decides to hold back tears while trying to remain calm.
"Yeah, Sean left."
Before saying any more, Tricia saunters towards the back of the bar, where she passes Samuel, who is talking with Steven Sullivan. He can see something has happened out there between her and Sean.
"Are you okay?" Samuel queries her.
"It's nothing," Tricia lies while avoiding him.
Steven turns to his wife, who also looks confused.
"Do you have any idea what's going on?"
"Whatever it is, it's not good," she replies wholeheartedly.
"Maybe I should go talk to her," Samuel suggests.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Steven says. "No offense, but with everything that just happened, you might make it worse."
"I would go after her in a heartbeat, but I think it's best right now that Tricia needs this time to get ahold of herself," Courtney advises.
Concurrently, in the women's restroom, Tricia stares at herself in the mirror, sobbing deeply.
​
THE CLIFFE
Emma Covington goes over the PO documentation from the recent alcohol delivery down at the bar of her nightclub to verify the quantity. When she hears the front door close, she looks up to see Will entering the otherwise empty establishment.
He quickly comes up to her, holding the takeout from The Chateau.
"I need to talk to you for a minute," he demands.
Wearing a dark blue ruffle-tiered minidress styled with black leather boots, Emma briefly shifts her focus onto her employee and lover.
"Just a second," she tells him.
Will shakes his head swiftly.
"This can't wait," he says urgently.
Detecting his growing impatience, Emma follows him up the staircase to the office.
​
"Did something happen when you were out?" Emma asks while shutting the door behind them.
Will puts the food on her desk and turns to her with intent.
"Yeah, you can say that," he replies indiscreetly.
Emma puts her hands at her side. "Will, what is it?" It sounds serious.
"While on my way over here," I decided, "Hey, how about I do something nice for my girl?" So, I ordered some food for her while I was waiting for it. "I overheard two silly waitresses talkin' about some guy buying out the entire restaurant to wine and dine some woman, who turns out to be you."
Presently, Emma displays a look of shame for being caught.
"Will, it's not what you think,"
"So, you didn't have dinner with the motherfucker?" Will asks, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"I did," Emma reveals. "But I was trying to get him to go back to Paris, but of course, he did not take the hint."
Will scoffs ironically at the memory of Emma telling him she was meeting up with a friend on a layover, but in reality, she was meeting with her ex-fiance, who tried to swindle her.
"Don't you think going to see him would make him think you want him just as bad?"
Emma puts both of her hands up in defeat.
"Okay, I wasn't thinking, but nothing happened between us because I truly care about you, and we can't let that son of a bitch come between us."
Will comes closer to his lover and whispers in her ear. "It looks like he already has,"
Before Emma can say anything else, Will rips out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Despite knowing that honesty is the best policy, she omitted that Jacques had given her an expensive diamond bracelet, not knowing how angry it would make Will and believing that the damage had already been done.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Sean is aware that his presence here may be deemed "inappropriate," particularly by his wife and Jai Gupta. Even though he had arrived at his former residence's doorsteps, he rationalized in his mind that he had no one else to talk to while pressing the doorbell.
About ten seconds later, Louise Saunders Lockhart comes to the door in a light gray pullover sweater and dark jeans.
"Sean, what's going on?" She queries inquisitively.
She could see whatever was bothering him in the state of his ruffled dress shirt and untied necktie, a far cry from his usual casual farm gear.
"I know; I shouldn't be here, but I had nowhere else to go."
He knows he shouldn't be here, but he needs that one person who can talk him off the ledge.
THE WATERFALL BAR
Elijah Barker places a friendly arm around Tanner Lockhart near one of the back booths. The small gathering has already dispersed within the bar.
"Is everything all right?" he asks his longtime friend.
Tanner puts strands of her brown hair behind her ear.
"I will be; I just hope my dad is somewhere calming down," she reacts meaningfully. "I know getting into things with Samuel wasn't the best choice, but he's grieving too. I hope Tricia takes that into account.
"This isn't exactly easy on anyone," Elijah replies amicably. "Anyway, have you seen Lenny?" he asks her. "I'm a little worried about her."
He knows his girlfriend was having a hard time dealing with the loss of the baby brother she hardly knew due to her issues with her father moving on with her stepmother.
"She had to go to the restroom; maybe she's still in there," she states. "But you know how headstrong my sister is, so she'll get through this with your support like I'm getting through this with Presley's support."
Elijah could detect a soft grin when she said that.
"How are things going between you?"
"Good, you know, this is the first time in my life that I don't have to second-guess the other person's true intentions."
Elijah knows she is referring to Tommy and him wanting to have sex before she was ready.
"Tommy is my friend, but you're my friend too, and I'm happy for you, Tanner; you deserve some happiness."
"Too bad, my brother deserves much more than you."
​
The familiar-sounding voice has Elijah and Tanner showing their contempt as Jordan McKnight saunters over to them.
"Jordan, this is neither the time nor the place," Elijah tells her vehemently.
"What do Presley and I have to do with you?" Tanner tells the story of a former friend turned rival.
"My brother might be a man of god, but he isn't a monk, and we know how selfish you can be when it comes to your innocence."
Elijah rolls his eyes at that comment, while Tanner tries to keep her emotions in check.
"Believe it or not, Jordan, sex isn't the only thing a couple can share." Tanner retorts. "I know that's probably the only thing you and Tommy have in common."
Jordan ruefully scoffs at that remark.
"Tanner, we have lots more in common, including our son," she says confidently. "You should see him with Jeremy; he's an amazing father."
"Well, someone had to, since you were gone for so long." Tanner hastily retorts.
Shortly after Jeremy was born, Jordan left Radcliffe for King's Bay, Washington, where she stayed for seven months, courtesy of her postpartum depression.
Elijah seems surprised that she went there, yet it increases Jordan's outrage.
"I was depressed, I love my son, and I'm a good mother no matter what you say about me."
"I never said that, Jordan."
"Those words were never said by her to you," Elijah says defensively.
Jordan immediately regrets saying that last part because she is aware of the voices, she heard telling her she wasn't good enough, in addition to not being a good mother. She didn't need anyone, especially if they thought she was insane.
The reverend, wearing a tie and a white Oxford shirt with his sleeves rolled up, approaches them, sensing hostility between his sister and his girlfriend.
"What's going on here?" Presley McKnight queries
He stands in the middle of both women, who have opposing looks.
"Oh, nothing, we were just catching up," Jordan says sarcastically. "Weren't we, Tanner?"
Both Tanner and Elijah exchange glances that indicate otherwise.
"This day is about my brother; I think we can put aside our petty issues for one day," Tanner responds.
"Good," the reverend responds. I volunteered to help Mae and Antoine clean up. "Want to give me a hand, Jordan?"
Jordan is about to protest when she realizes this will get her away from Tanner. "Sure,"
Presley goes over to plant a peck on Tanner's lips, which makes his sister roll her eyes in frustration.
The siblings walk toward the other side of the bar.
"What really happened?" he asks her straightforwardly.
"Let's just say we will never get along and leave it at that."
Tricia had grown accustomed to crying in private since she was a child as a result of growing up in an abusive household ruled by that son of a bitch, her stepfather,
In a way, it felt good to release her pain. She couldn't help but feel vulnerable, which she detests, knowing she wouldn't have survived if she hadn't remained strong.
She hears the door open, thinking it is Courtney coming to check on her, and quickly reaches for the paper towel from the dispenser to wipe her face.
But when she turns, she doesn't see Courtney but another petite woman, albeit a younger one.
"If another person asks me if I'm okay, I won't be held responsible for my actions," Tricia reveals.
While Lenny stands beside her, she holds up her hands as a gesture of surrender.
"Well, since I'm not exactly one of your favorites, "I should take that seriously."
Tricia has the paper towel crumbled in her hand with tears streaming down her face, exposing her puffy eyes.
​
"I didn't mean anything by that; I'm just frustrated at everything right now."
"About Dylan?" Lenny queries
"Him and what happened earlier with your dad and Samuel—it's too much for me to handle right now," she confesses.
Lenny forms a doubtful expression on her face, which her stepmother spots.
"I know what you're thinking."
​
"What?"
"Why in the hell am I telling you all this?" I mean, I know I'm not exactly your favorite person."
Lenny looks at her, then turns around and looks at herself in the mirror.
"That's true, but even you don't deserve to go through this today."
Tricia is impressed by Lenny's maturity, which is a far cry from the adolescent who wasn't interested in getting along with the woman she considers taking her father away from her mother.
"I didn't get the chance to say this, but, uh, I wish I got to know Dylan better."
"Me too,"
The two women remain standing before their mirrors, agreeing for one moment.
MILLER INN: SUITE 330
The loud, attentive banging on his hotel suite door has Jacques Laurent hurriedly wandering to see who it is. He deduces it isn't someone who has come for a friendly chat.
When he opens the door, he sees Will Jackson grimacing at him. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what this is about.
"What can I do for you, William?" the wealthy Frenchman asks, feigning modesty.
"You got some serve, Jackie boy," Will says while storming inside the suite, which, by the way, is larger than his room at the farm.
Jacques shuts the door behind him.
"How did you know which suite I'm staying in?"
"Let's just say everyone has their price," Will comments.
In reality, he had managed to get the information from the twenty-something female desk clerk downstairs by giving her VIP at The Cliffe.
"I know about your little candlelit date at The Chateau with Emma, and I'm here to tell you that shit ain't happenin' no more." he boldly declares.
Jacques chuckles smugly.
"For someone born in this country, you seem unable to grasp the proper use of the English language."
Will shakes his head at the insult.
Jacques walks towards the minibar, where he fixes himself some scotch.
"Will, you're overreacting; it was just a dinner between two old friends catching up."
Though Jacques had every romantic intention, he has been recruited by Emma's own mother, Deirdre Covington, to break up his former fiancée's current relationship by any means. In exchange, she will give him the funds to help salvage his family's shipping company.
Will raises an eyebrow skeptically at him.
​
"Cut the bullshit, Jackie Boy; like, I said, leave Emma alone."
"I think that's up to her," Jacques retorts. "You should know by now that no one forces Emma to do anything she does not want to do." He informs him. "So keep that in mind."
Will steps up to him, not scared of him physically in the slightest.
"Stay away from her!"
The nightclub manager proceeds to forcefully leave the suite, leaving Jacques smiling arrogantly while holding his drink in his hand and closing the door.
"Oh Willie, soon Emma will be mine again, while I will receive enough money to save my family's company and even have enough to keep for myself, and you will end up with nothing."
He then takes a drink to celebrate his upcoming victory.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
By now, Sean and Louise were sitting at the kitchen table, which brought back such nostalgic memories for him. All the times they'd hung out here while he cooked several meals had made him forget about his loss, if only for a brief moment.
"You have anything stronger than Lipton?" He says this half-jokingly.
Louise had made them tea with lemon.
"With everything you've told me about what happened, spirits are the last thing you need," she informs him.
Sean had told her about him confronting Samuel, which led to an argument between him and Tricia.
Louise takes a sip of her drink; tendrils of steam rise out of the cup.
"Now you understand why I decided not to attend the service," she mentions. "I didn't want to add more strain to an already emotional time for you both."
Sean nods appreciatively at his ex-wife.
"On a scale of one to five, how badly do you think I fucked up?"
"Don't do this to yourself," she replies reasonably. "Tricia needs you more than ever; you both need each other."
Sean takes a drink of his tea.
"I know; it's just that it's hard to be with her and know that I can't do anything to make her feel better."
"I don't pretend to know what goes on in your wife's mind, but she needs to know that the one person she can rely on is you, especially during this time," she advises.
"I guess," he says defeatedly. "Thanks for all this; I know showing up here unannounced isn't exactly popular."
Automatically, Louise knows he is talking about her beau. Jai, who has made it clear he isn't keen on her ex showing up here,
"First of all, this is my home; no one gets to say who can come in and out of it." She notifies him. "And second, the only thing happening here between us is friendship; that's all." She says it matter-of-factly.
"I appreciate your friendship even when I don't deserve it,
He decides to change the topic of conversation.
"I can't believe it's Thanksgiving in a couple of days; time is flying this year, isn't it?"
"You're telling me; I had to look at my phone's calendar to remind myself." She replies good-naturedly. "I need to pick up the pies from the cafe to bring to Mom's for dinner on Thursday."
Louise hadn't exactly inherited her mother's baking skills, so every year she brings the pies from Jojo's Cafe to contribute to the dessert table.
Louise places her hands on the still-hot mug.
"Sean, at least keep what I said in mind."
He lowers his head while attempting to adhere to her words.
THE WATERFALL BAR
Lynn returns from the restroom. While cleaning is going on, she joins her boyfriend, Elijah Barker, and Tanner near the front of the establishment.
"Hey, where were you?" He says with concern, "We thought we had to send in a search party." Elijah announces this to his girlfriend.
Lynn is about to answer when she looks up to see Tricia making her way out of the restroom.
"A private moment, that's all," she replies casually. "Did anything happen while I was away?" she asks, changing the subject.
Tanner nods her head regretfully.
"Let's just say Jordan and I had an interesting conversation," Tanner answers. "But I don't want to get into that right now."
"You ready to get out of here?" Elijah asks his girlfriend.
"Yeah,"
With that, both fraternal twin sisters say goodbye to each other, as Elijah does the same with Tanner. As they walk out of the bar, Lynn glances at her stepmother, who gives her a sympathetic countenance.
Tricia clears her throat to get Courtney and Steven's attention, both of whom already have their coats on and their belongings in their possession.
"Where is Samuel?" she wonders. "I think I owe him an apology for what happened earlier."
​
"Samuel left about ten minutes ago," Steven says.
Tricia nods her head, not blaming him for leaving.
"If you two wouldn't mind, can I get a ride home?"
"You don't even have to ask," Courtney responds kindly.
Steven folds his arms over his chest.
"And if there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask,"
"Thanks; I don't know how I'm going to get through this," she admits emotionally.
Courtney places her arm around her friend and gazes at her. "I know it sounds cliche, but take it one day at a time."
"You know what it does, but I guess it makes sense at this point."
In a matter of seconds, Tricia obtains her coat and purse out of the booth; she takes a second to take a moment of silence for her loss, then proceeds out the bar.
​
END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Deirdre is pleased.
Jordan finds herself insecure.
Jai sets Aaliyah straight.
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