EPISODE 223
Written by: Bre L. Drew
February 13, 2023
Last Time on Town and Country
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Daniel is blackmailing Jordan's psychiatrist, Dr. Pierre Toussaint, to help him convince Jordan that she will be a danger to herself and Jeremy if he becomes romantically involved with a suicidal patient.
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Aaliyah expressed her feelings about her father marrying Louise, as she wants her parents back together, but with advice from Lorenzo, she is rethinking her stance.
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Tanner gave Presley her virginity, and Tommy overheard her telling him she had a great night with him when he came over to the rectory to speak with Thora.
HOME FARM
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Gabriella, the longtime Covington housekeeper, is effectively interrupted from polishing the grand staircase banister inside the Home Farm estate mansion when the imposing sound of the doorbell prompts her to obtain the door.
"Hi," she says to the individual standing on the other side of the doorway. "How may I help you?"
The black male, who is in his early sixties and wearing a solid black wool topcoat and dark slacks, reasonably nods. "Yes, may I speak to Daniel Covington?"
The housekeeper keeps her hand on the door and gives it a glare, indicating that she isn't easily fooled by a stranger wanting to see her boss, who happens to be the wealthiest person in town.
"And who, may I ask, wants to see him?" she asks sternly.
"Tell him Pierre Toussaint wants to chat with him right now."
Gabriella recalls that that is the name of the psychiatrist her boss is blackmailing to convince Jordan McKnight she is losing her mind so Tommy will receive sole custody of Jeremy.
"Gabriella, what is going on here?" Daniel Covington queries his employee. However, when his gaze is drawn to a specific visitor, he expresses his reservations about his presence.
"Can you see what the staff will be preparing for dinner this evening?" he informs her, mainly wanting to get rid of her.
"Sure, Mr. Covington," she says dutifully, as she walks away somewhat peeved that she wasn't included in this discussion since she has also been part of the plan.
He motions for him to come inside, which the doctor does as Daniel shuts the door. "What in the hell are you doing here?" he asks him outright. Jordan is upstairs; she could've woken up from her nap to see you, and our plan would've been exposed, causing irreparable damage.
Dr. Toussaint takes off his leather gloves from his hands and glances around the room, impressed by the interior and exterior of the estate.
"That is why I'm here," he says. "I'm backing out of this arrangement."
SAMPSON UNIVERSITY: ASHTON DORMITORY
Escaping from the crisp air outside, Tanner Lockhart enters the dormitory hall she resides in on the campus of Sampson University.
She makes her way down the hall, where she sees various residents running around, walking, or playfully teasing one another. When she got to her dorm room, she noticed Aaliyah Gupta sitting on the ground by their door, rubbing the back of a black freshman girl with shoulder-length dark brown hair.
"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" Aaliyah asks calmly.
"I think I will," the younger woman answers through stifled tears.
The two rose silently.
"If you need to talk, I'm here," Aaliyah informs her.
While the girl takes off, Tanner sees she's been crying.
Aaliyah lifts her head, acknowledging that her best friend and fellow resident advisor is here.
"What's going on with her?" Tanner queries.
Aaliyah tucks a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "She, my friend, is going through her first big breakup with her boyfriend. The two had a long-distance relationship, but he told her they should see other people."
"I'm sorry I left you here with all of that." Tanner expresses regret.
"I just got back to campus about ten minutes ago and found her sulking on the floor when I got here."
Aaliyah turns the door handle as they enter their relatively clean shared room.
Tanner places her purse on the desk as she makes a note to herself to get out of the clothes she was in yesterday before anyone notices.
"So, both of us weren't here last night?" Aaliyah says that she then observes a certain glimmer on her friend, and before she knows it, she figures out who put it there. "Are you and Presley now having platonic sleepovers?"
Tanner finds herself blushing a bit and not answering her outright.
"Oh, my god!" Aaliyah exclaims. "You have that glow," she adds excitedly. "Tanner Lillian Lockhart, did you sleep with
Presley?"
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HOME FARM: GUEST HOUSE
"So let me get this straight. While you were about to leave Presley's house after he told you that Thora wasn't there, you overheard Tanner saying she had a great night. Lorenzo Vidal asks curiously. "Ouch!" he states expressively. "How uncomfortable was that my brother?"
He and Tommy Covington were in the living room of the guest house on the Home Farm estate, where Lorenzo resides. Tommy explained that he needed to confide in a friend since Elijah is currently enrolled in one of his poly-sci classes on campus.
"Let's just say I've been in better threesomes than the one I just left," he replies overdramatically. "Let me ask you something."
"All right,"
"Am I overreacting?" he responds curiously. "I know what happened between Tanner and me is entirely my fault, but I still love her and don't want to see her hurt, even by the good Reverend Lovejoy."
Lorenzo takes a sip of his Dr. Pepper before delving into the specific question. "I'm going to be honest with you, Tommy; it's one thing to be a friend and care about Tanner, but you have to know when to step back to maintain that friendship because if you don't, you might lose her for good, and that's not what you want, man."
Tommy sighs thoughtfully while trying to heed his friend's words of advice. "I want her back; I miss Tanner so much, but with everything going on, I can't hurt her again."
The budding filmmaker's face becomes puzzled. "What's going on?"
"Just some stuff, but I'll tell you about it later."
In reality, he suspects his father is somewhat responsible for Jordan's mental health, along with Jordan's psychiatrist, Dr. Toussaint, although he doesn't have much proof to back it up, so he's deciding to keep it to himself for now.
Tommy rises from his seat on the sofa. "I'm taking off; thanks for listening to me, bitch."
Lorenzo also gets up from the couch. "No problem," he says dismissively, waving his hand away. "Hey, I forgot to ask you why you were over at Presley's in the first place."
Tommy was now standing near the front door, and he turned to face him. "I needed to talk to Thora about Jeremy," he partially lies. In a way, he wanted to speak to her about Jordan, and she shared his concern for her daughter.
He then exits the house, heading towards the main house on the estate.
HOME FARM: GUEST HOUSE
HOME FARM
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"Are we forgetting that your illustrious career is on the line? I will go to the head of the hospital board and fill her in on your past misdeeds."
Daniel's been using the information about him getting into a romantic relationship with a former patient who took her own life when their time together was over. Toussaint had left his prior hospital when he was offered the position.
"I'm tired of you using one misjudgment of my life to do your bidding," Dr. Toussaint strongly expresses. "But what you're doing is equally immoral."
Daniel's expression turns more severe as he nearly gets in his face. "How dare you come into my home uninvited to ridicule me? I call the shots. Don't you now have everything ready for when I need you? "It appears that the sedatives you gave Jordan are having an effect on her; she's been more tired, and if she's out of it like this, she'll convince everyone around her that she's an unfit mother."
Not having many options, he puts his finger in Daniel's face, warningly. "Damn you! "And by the way, one of these days, your money and power won't keep you on top for long."
"Get out!" Daniel says through clenched teeth.
With that, the psychiatrist leaves the mansion for his car, leaving Daniel confident but realizing he has to make the plan come together sooner or he will run the risk of Toussaint getting an attack of conscience and blowing everything to hell.
SAMPSON UNIVERSITY: ASHTON DORMITORY
By now, Tanner had filled Aaliyah in on the general details of the night, which included losing her virginity to her older, more experienced boyfriend. as well as Tommy coming over to his house earlier and overhearing her confessing, she had a great night.
Both of them were sitting next to one another on Tanner's bed.
"I don't know where to start," Aaliyah comments with confusion. "But I'm glad you came to this decision on your own; trust me, I know what it's like to feel like you have to sleep with someone because you feel pressured to."
Tanner knows her friend is speaking from experience from previous conversations on that matter.
"No," she answers. "I've been wanting this to happen for a while; it seemed like the right time for me."
Aaliyah expresses an assuring look. "Forget about whatever Tommy feels; you have every right to be happy."
"That's what Presley said after he left."
"Well, the preacher man and I agree on that," Aaliyah states. "I guess since we're confessing things to each other, uh, I wasn't that gung-ho over our parents' engagement."
Aaliyah could see the change in reaction on her best friend's face from keen to astonished.
"Why?"
"Because I had this crazy notion of my parents getting back together." she admits. "And the only thing I could see was that dream vanishing."
Tanner removes herself from the bunk and then turns around to her friend, unsure of how to respond.
"Here, I thought you were at least excited about us becoming sisters," she confesses. "But I can't blame you for wanting your parents back together." "I mean, when my parents split, I wished they would've found their way back together, but for obvious reasons, I know that it could not happen."
"That's what Lorenzo helped me come to earlier." she tells her. "I'm trying not to live in this fantasy of the hope of my parents' reuniting," Aaliyah remarks, observingly. "And I promise I will try to come around to my dad marrying your mom. But are we going to be, okay?" Aaliyah asks sincerely.
At first, the young brunette woman folds her arms across her chest silently, but something inside her makes her relent.
"Yeah, we are," she replies softly. "I know this may come from an unobjective source, but at least give my mother a chance with your father. I know it isn't easy to get along with your stepparent trust me, I know that firsthand." Tanner speaks from the experience of her stepmother, Tricia.
Aaliyah stands up from the bunk, inching closer to her friend. "I will," she replies fairly. "And I hope you know that whatever happens, we're still sisters, no matter what."
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Tanner faces her with a mixture of optimism and hesitance.
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J&M MARKET
Like strawberry wine and seventeen
The hot July moon saw everything
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Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine" plays inside the local grocery store's sound system as its owner, Jai Gupta, shakes the hand of a white male in his late twenties whom he had just interviewed for the new assistant manager position.
Other customers were pushing their shopping carts, hoping to finish their purchases soon. Among them is Mala Gupta, who pulls her cart to the hot food counter.
Jai glances down at the counter, instantly recognizing his ex-wife's appearance, and then makes his way to approach her.
"Long time, no see," he greets her. "Welcome back."
For the last two weeks, Mala visited family in Southall, London, where she and Jai grew up.
Mala turns around to acknowledge her ex-husband and the father of her children. "Why hello, and thank you,"
The two quickly embraced before letting go of each other.
"So, how is everything?"
"You know my family; they asked how you were and why I hadn't found a man yet."
Jai chuckles, knowing her relatives all too well after all these years. "Some things never change,"
Mala looks down at her half-filled cart before falling back onto him. "Speaking of change, I hear official congratulations are in order; you and Louise are engaged."
"Thank you," he replies graciously.
Jai and Louise are recently engaged, yet they haven't come up with a specific date for the big day.
A petite white woman in a light pink sweatsuit with dirty blonde hair in a ponytail and her basket full of healthy foods interrupts their conversation temporarily. Jai and Mala then move off to the side.
"Aaliyah hasn't taken the news well," Jai states while lowering his voice. "I just hope she'll know it doesn't mean we love her any less."
Mala casually nods. "I understand what you're saying, but she should know that her dream of us reuniting will only exist in her head," she says "Sorry I haven't congratulated you already," she also adds. "But with me being out of the country and catching up with work, everything has been in a bit of disarray," Mala admits in her native British accent, which always sounds stronger when she visits England.
Jai showcases his trademark charismatic smile while shaking his head. "It's all right," he remarks while glaring down at his watch. "I better get to the bank to make the deposit," he tells her. "It's great seeing you as always."
Even apart, his smile always makes her forget what was originally on her mind.
"You as well,"
She watches him head to the back of the store where his office is located as Mala instantly dwells on the reason why she is at the counter, which is to pick up a rotisserie chicken for dinner.
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HOME FARM
While conversing with the cook on duty, Gabriella hears the back door open and sees Tommy walking into the room. He had watched the young man grow from a cute baby to a playboy adolescent and now a responsible single father.
She lifts her head to see his ear glued to his iPhone.
"Dammit," he mutters. "Thora, it's Tommy. Call me when you get this message."
The housekeeper's ears perk up as she overhears him mentioning Jordan's mother, curious as to what it is about. She waits until he goes upstairs.
Not long thereafter, she makes her way up the staircase and down the hall until she reaches Daniel's office door, which she knocks on.
"It's me," she half-whispers.
"It's open," Daniel says from the other side.
She turns the knob as she walks over to see the Covington patriarch behind his desk, a Montblanc pen in his hand and the familiar scowl on his face.
"What happened between you and the shrink?" Gabriella asks him.
Daniel fills her in on Dr. Toussaint once again wanting out of their arrangement, but he believes he is still trying to convince Jordan that she is a neglectful mother, hoping it would make her decide to abandon Jeremy altogether.
"I need to jumpstart things because I don't think Toussaint will be threatened by my ruining his career any longer,"
Gabriella takes a seat in front of her boss. "I just saw Tommy on the phone, leaving Thora a short voicemail that he needs to speak with her. Whatever it is, it appears to be serious."
It is then that the businessman is swiftly hit with a firm idea.
The housekeeper is confused as to what is happening as he uses his office phone to call someone.
"Yes, hello, I need to be put in touch with Chief Ernest McKnight; this is important; this is Daniel Covington," he replies urgently. "Yes, I will wait."
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
The McKnight's become aware of Jordan's struggles.
Louise senses Jai's apprehension.
Max and Shauna leave for their getaway.
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