One of seven letters from country admitting old novelist and, separately, me (5,7)

I haven't cracked this one yet — but the brilliant team at Times for the Times have:

RURAL (country) around (admitting) O (old) MANN (novelist) and, separately, ME I, V, X, L, C, D, and M — which of course were invented to keep track of the number of Superb Owls.