EPISODE 200
Written by: Bre L. Drew
September 4, 2022
Last Time On Town and Country
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Steven agreed to obtain a sample of Emma's DNA to determine whether she is biologically a Saunders.
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Once again, Tricia feels threatened by Louise's presence when it comes to her marriage to Sean.
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Tommy convinced Tanner to meet him at "their place" if he ever meant anything to her.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
If Franklin Farm's main house could talk, it would say that it is the heart of the farm, not the eight hundred acres of land or all of the animals. Despite being over one hundred years old, this home has seen many life events in its time, including births, deaths, and marriages, not to mention the joy and sorrow everyone has ever gone through. It has managed to survive two tornadoes and a near-foreclosure. It would also tell you that it endured not only because of its strong structure but also because of the Saunders, whose strength has always been as strong as the home itself.
Currently, most of the Saunders women, the backbone of the family, are in the kitchen, prepping dinner while conversing with each other.
​
"I must say, I'm delighted to have this dinner; it's been a while since we've all been together." Sarah Lynn Saunders declares excitedly while she is chopping vegetables on the cutting board on the counter.
Louise Saunders Lockhart and Martha Saunders exchange a mutual glance, knowing their mother is not only doing better after their father's death but glad over the happiness of the family being together as well.
"Lynn, sweetheart, how much longer do you think that chicken needs?" Sarah Lynn asks her granddaughter who opened the oven.
She glances inside. "About ten more minutes."
"Good," Sarah Lynn informs her, "And by the way, Will is bringing Emma over."
Martha doesn't miss the chance to roll her eyes at that piece of information while she starts to gather the silverware for the table out in the dining room.
"Come on, Martha, Emma is harmless," Louise says good-naturedly. "I used to babysit her with Daniel when we were together back in the day."
Will and Emma are currently involved with one another.
"The pets from Homeward Bound were harmless, but it's something about Emma I don't like. And before you think I'm jealous of her because she is with Will, you're wrong."
The single mother had feelings for the tenant but moved on to Samuel when she saw him getting closer to his boss.
Louise flashes a look at herself, wondering if that's the case for her younger sister.
Sarah Lynn decides to change the subject. "Will any of your guys be coming for dinner?"
Martha tucks a strand of her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ear. "Samuel is working a late shift at the hospital."
"Jai's coming, but he might be late coming from the store," Louise says.
"Elijah's coming," Lenny tells them. "You know who would've loved this dinner?" she states
Sarah Lynn nods melancholically. "Your grandfather would I hope he is watching over us."
HOME FARM
Steven Sullivan sits behind the wheel of his Dodge Durango, parked near the front of the mansion on the Home Farm estate.
"The coast is clear," Steven says
Esther Saunders positions herself in the backseat of the vehicle. The two decided that Esther should be out of sight when they arrived here, as they were about to retrieve DNA from Emma to determine whether or not she shares a bloodline with them, resulting in a long-ago affair between Jimmy and Deirdre.
"Tell me this isn't crazy," he proclaims
"What other choice do we have? I doubt that a girl would want to know that she may not be exactly to the manor born. " Esther remarks while staring at the expansive house.
"All right," he says steadily. He unbuckles himself and then turns up the volume of the stereo, on which the unmistakable vocals of Patsy Cline's "Crazy" play on one of the country stations.
He turns to his mother with an expression that indicates even the car knows this idea is insane.
Steven gets out of the vehicle.
He notices that fall will be here soon since the sun is setting much earlier than a month ago. When he reaches the door, he looks around to see if anyone can see him. He gives a thumbs-up to his mother, who can see it from her side of the truck.
He presses the doorbell, through which he hears the grand sound. About five seconds later, the door swings open, but instead of Gabriella standing there, it is Emma Covington herself.
Steven hadn't anticipated running into her. He still finds it somewhat awkward to wonder if this woman, who is nearly a decade younger than him, might be his aunt, possibly because his grandfather had an affair with the woman his mother once called her best friend.
"Just to let you know, no one is home but Tommy's baby mama, though I doubt you would want to visit her," Emma says straightforwardly.
The heiress is wearing a light purple draped keyhole-front mini kimono dress, and her hair is in an inside-out ponytail bun. She is holding on to a matching clutch purse.
"Do you mind if I popped in to use the bathroom?" Steven lies. "I was coming from a call out on McCall Farm, and I needed to go before heading to my dinner at the farm."
He tries to see if Emma can detect any deception on his face, though she folds her arms across her chest.
"If you were anyone else, I would tell you that there is a gas station about five miles up the road, but since you're married to Courtney, go ahead."
"Thanks,"
Emma walks out of the door and then turns around to him.
"Wait," she calls out.
He stares at her, wondering if he did something he hadn't noticed that could give him away.
"I guess I will see you later out at the farm. I'm coming with Will, and by the way, please put the toilet seat down and wash your hands."
Steven nods considerately while the woman walks towards her car.
Esther sees Emma walking towards her car, a few feet from the truck.
Emma quickly moves her head to the truck, which makes the older woman hastily slouch down so as not to be seen.
She then hears the Jaguar convertible's engine starting up ahead as it speeds down the long driveway and onto the main road.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT #424
Tricia Lockhart lathers lotion onto her legs on the edge of the bed in the room she shares with her husband in their fourth-floor apartment.
Sean Lockhart enters the room where he sees his wife silently staring at him, communicating their most recent tension, which involves his closeness to his ex-wife Louise. While he believes she's blowing things out of proportion. Tricia wishes he had been upfront with her about it if it didn't mean anything serious between them.
"After reading Goodnight Moon, Dylan is out like a light," Sean informs her of the current status of their infant son.
Tricia stands up from the bed, wearing a thinly strapped silk grey long nightgown.
It seemed the only thing that hadn't made both of them upset was anything having to do with their young son.
"Good," she says to the point.
​
"Tricia, we need to talk," Sean says candidly, "Whatever we're feeling, let's get it out now."
"It was bad enough that you drove over to her house the night we fought, but you went out to the farm the next day to explain the situation to her. Instead of coming to me, you go to her. " Tricia says bluntly,
Sean had told her about him going to seek advice from Louise regarding the state of their marriage the other day, which started their silent treatment.
"How many times do I have to convince you that nothing seedy is happening between Louise and me?" he states. "It's like you won't be satisfied until you catch us together in bed."
Tricia tosses him an expressive look to suggest she wouldn't be surprised if that occurred.
ESTHER SAUNDERS STABLES
As the sun sets over Radcliffe, Tommy Covington inspects the wooden bench on which two lit candles rest. Also on the table are two plates, silverware, and trays of food prepared by the cook at Home Farm. He wanted to do something special to convince Tanner that they should get back together, and there was no better way to do so than to recreate one of their significant moments as a couple here at the stables this evening.
But that felt like another lifetime ago when things weren't so complicated, and he hadn't broken her heart by sleeping with Jordan. Hopefully, she realizes he wants another chance even though he doesn't deserve it.
The sound of the movement of someone walking gets his attention.
Tanner Lockhart comes his way wearing a floral print smocked off-the-shoulder top and a pair of blue jeans with her purse on her shoulder. When she gets across, she crosses her arms in an action to shield herself.
"I'm glad you came," Tommy tells her.
"I didn't have much choice, remember?"
Tommy had told Tanner to meet here at the cafe the other day while leaving a text when the limo would pick her up from her dorm at Sampson University.
"Please don't be like that,"
Tanner notices this reminds her of their time together here too.
"You remember?" she asks, surprised.
Tommy inches closer to his ex-girlfriend.
"You're hard to forget, Tanner Lockhart,"
Tanner rolls her eyes at him as the cool breeze makes her realize she should've grabbed a jacket before leaving campus.
"Did you forget about Presley?" Tanner states
Tommy shakes his head.
"No, I haven't. That's why I'm doing this. The good Reverend will never love you the way that I do. "
Tanner scoffs at his statement.
"And look how your love brought us here," she replies vehemently. "You not only slept with the girl who used to be my best friend, but you had gotten her pregnant and didn't want anything to do with your baby until he needed emergency heart surgery minutes after his birth. And even if we do get back together, Tommy, I'll always wonder if you were sleeping with Jordan or someone else. And it will always be part of you that resents me for not wanting to rush to sleep with you. We're better off as friends, and deep down, you know that too."
Tommy holds back his tears. "You know, I had to try," he half smiles.
"Let me call my dad's driver to pick you up."
Tanner lifts her hand to stop him. "I can call a cab. I'll see you later."
With that, he painfully watches her walk off towards the entrance of the stables.
Tommy sits at the table, realizing everything has gone to waste. He thinks about how he let the best person he was ever involved with go because of his choices.
He grabs his phone from his back pocket and maneuvers to the Spotify app, where he picks the particular song.
"The Bones" by Maren Morris is played.
The song had become their anthem of sorts.
Now the lyrics resonate with him even more.
​
Baby, I know any storm we're facing
Will blow right over while we stay put
The house don't fall when the bones are good
THE CLIFFE
"Give me five minutes, and we can get out of here," Emma promises her lover.
She and Will Jackson enter her office above the main floor of The Cliffe.
Since it's before opening hours, the place doesn't have anyone but the staff getting ready for the night.
"Please tell me you aren't becoming all work and no play." Will grins charismatically
The club owner lifts her head behind her desk. I think it might be time to get my act together, don't you think?
A few years ago, all Emma cared about was jetting around Europe and spending a fortune in a way to escape the responsibilities of adulthood. Now she is beginning to discover that it is something she couldn't hide from forever. Not to mention she has managed to awake from her coma she could've never come out of. She isn't going to waste time on frivolous things anymore.
"Everything is taken care of; now let's go to the home on the range," she says half-jokingly to him.
Will firmly grasps his lover around her slender waist.
"You know I care about you, right?"
Emma smirks at him back.
"I feel the same way about you too."
He winks suggestively at her.
A light tap in the doorway gets both their attention.
A young female bartender with a unicorn tattoo on her right arm appears, holding a bouquet of pink and creme flowers in a clear glass vase.
"Someone has a secret admirer," she says, while passing the flowers to her boss. Then she dashes off.
"Did you send these?" Emma asks curiously, as she inhales the beautiful assortment.
"I can't take credit for those," he answers.
Emma obtains the card in the bouquet, which she reads aloud.
"The best for you,"
- Jacques
It doesn't take long for Will's mood to change. "That bastard doesn't know to take a hint."
Emma peeks below and then tosses the flowers in the trash can near the desk while setting the vase on her desk, which surprises Will, who hadn't been keen on his return to Radcliffe.
"Come on," Emma urges
The couple departs the office as Emma looks over her shoulder at the can while turning off the light switch that darkens the room.
HOME FARM
Jordan McKnight holds onto her son, Jeremy Covington, as she guides them into his nursery on the second floor of the mansion on Home Farm.
"You're such a good boy," she cheerfully tells him. "You ate all your food and didn't put up a fight at bath time."
Jordan lays her son in his crib, and she smiles at the little boy.
"I don't know what I did to deserve you," she replies over him. "But I will never leave you again
For nearly seven months, the young mother, suffering from postpartum depression, left him in the custody of her father to get some perspective away in King's Bay, Washington. Now she wonders how she could bare to be away from her son as therapy is finally getting her to see that.
Jeremy looks up at the mobile above, which consists of a baby boy hanging on a moon asleep, with his stuffed animal as the clouds and stars surround him.
"Mama," the baby articulates
Being called that by him takes her off guard, though she remains content about it.
"I love you, have sweet dreams,"
She softly kisses him gently on his forehead.
The baby's eyelids become heavy as slumber overcomes him.
Jordan manages to get out of the nursery without waking him. She walks down the vast hallway to her room until she spots the door to Emma's bedroom closing. She recalls her leaving earlier, though as she stands there, she chalks it up to Gabriella or one of the members of the staff cleaning.
Managing to make his way up the stairs, Steven can locate Emma's bedroom thankfully by remembering seeing her coming out of the room before last year.
He turns his head to see if the coast is clear while he treads to the door, which he enters into the bedroom.
The atmosphere pretty much doesn't take Steven by surprise since he figures Emma would have a room that would have a painted portrait of herself on the wall.
Steven takes his iPhone out of his pocket to text his mother that he is inside the room as he tries not to dwell on how wrong he is at this moment for sneaking into someone's personal space. The veterinarian sees a hairbrush lying on the dresser. Instantly, he puts on the pair of latex gloves he had in his pocket as well as the plastic zip-up bag in another pocket.
Confirming it is hair in the brush, he carefully places it in the bag and zips it up. Steven couldn't help but feel like he was one of those characters from CSI.
"Here goes nothing," he says to himself while placing the bag behind his back.
He goes to the door and, to his relief, sees no one in the hall, so he immediately heads down the staircase to the front door, where he is now back outside, and gets into the truck.
"Did you get it?" Esther asks from the backseat.
Steven holds the bag up for her to see.
"Consider it an early Christmas present,"
"Now, let's get out of here before we're seen," Esther says, while Steven puts the truck in gear.
He steers the vehicle down the driveway onto the road.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT #424
"I understand that you have a history with Louise and that you two will always be tied because of Tanner and Lynn, but you don't have to hide every time you have an interaction with her. I promise I won't break down. "
Sean sways his head in disbelief.
"You say that, but when I do bring up Louise, every time you get like this,"
"Get like what?"
"Like this!" he exclaims. "I don't know how many times I can tell you that you and our son are my priority."
Tricia, who appears to be less defensive than in previous nods,
"If it doesn't involve the farm or the girls, I don't want you to have anything to do with Louise," she says lowly.
"Are you serious?" he asks her. "Louise told me herself she doesn't want to be involved in our marriage."
Tricia goes over to her husband with straight eye contact. "You said that Dylan and I were your priority. If you mean it, then you'll do it. " She replies strongly. "And who knew that Louise and I finally agreed on something?"
Sean is about to say something when he sees his wife sauntering out of the room.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Though this land isn't a stranger to possessing secrets, it has many secrets too. Some are harmless, but others have more of an impact on those around them.
Esther walks down the stairs, where she sees her son standing at the bottom of the staircase.
"Why does it feel like we did something illegal?" Steven questions his mother.
Esther waves her hand dismissively. "Isn't possession nine-tenths of the law?" And anyway, this is the only way to find out if Deirdre and my father conceived an illegitimate Saunders. "
Steven is about to reply to her when he sees his wife, Courtney Covington Sullivan, step through the door.
"Hello," she says.
He bends down to kiss and embrace her.
"Hey, Courtney," Esther addresses her civilly.
"Hi Esther, how are you?"
Esther stares at her son, then back at her. "Just peachy."
Sarah Lynn gets on her feet and gets everyone to pay attention by gently clearing her throat. "My late father-in-law Jimmy Saunders started this tradition: before we eat, it's a tradition that the head of household makes a speech...
When her father's name was mentioned, Esther couldn't help but look at Emma, wondering what the DNA results would be. Though the heiress remains unknowing of her questionable paternity, she smiles at something Will whispers to her.
"And when he passed away, my mother-in-law Rosemary and then my beloved Peter. Now it's my turn, and I know each of them will say family is the most important thing. Whether by blood, marriage, or choice, we're all connected by love and to being together in this home that holds so much of our history. So, let's eat and enjoy each other's company. "
She then sits down and watches as she sees various interactions between her friends and family. Then she begins conversing with Esther as she reaches for the bowl of tossed salad. She couldn't help but think that her in-laws and Peter were watching over them.
​
END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Thora confronts Ernest over their divorce.
Something happens that Jordan can't explain.
Jacques uses his charms.
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