Domestic Upheaval

By B L Els

Meet EMMA BROWN, a veterinarian stripped of her title. Taking on the role as a housekeeper while waiting for her pending case to be resolved.

Mitch Benson is the owner of the ranch and Emma’s employer. His sister, Beth, for some unknown reason, has her claws out for Emma.

Why go out of your way and be nice to someone so bitter and twisted? This is going to be one of the toughest jobs for Emma.

With no hidden agenda, Emma uncovers a syndicate. Leading Beth to be arrested and driven away in the back of a patrol van.
This is a crime fiction drama full of excitement, which will have you intrigued from start to finish.

THE LOCATION
Port Shepstone is a town situated on the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. It is located halfway between Hibberdene and Margate and is located 120 km south of Durban.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B L Els
• Release date: Feb 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005242107

B L Els

Author Els is the victim and survivor of an attempted murder. Never thinking she would be the target of violence she was brutally attacked in her home. Ending up with over forty stitches on her head. Her assailant wielded his axe and she retaliated with a frying pan. After surviving her terrifying ordeal, she is thankful to be alive and has immersed herself in writing.Author Els resides in Kwa-Zulu Natal, a province on the South Coast of South Africa. Feel free to browse her website https://authorblels.wordpress.com/ drop a line via email [e-mail] or follow on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/bl_elsPostal Address:P O Box 258, Annerley, 4230, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Republic of South Africa

Book preview

Chapter 1

Emma arrived at the ranch as the sun began to set. Feeling rather excited the butterflies were zooming around in her stomach. Having driven for hours she was happy to arrive at her destination. The job as a housekeeper was a far cry from what she was used to, but it suited her down to the ground. Cooking had always been a highlight and cleaning came naturally. After travelling for most of the day she felt tired. She parked her vehicle in front of the house and was about to open her door when a young woman walked out of the house towards her. Emma had expected Mister Benson, the gent who had appointed her, to come out of the house and introduce himself. Beth put her hand on the roof of the car and looked down at her. Miss Brown?

Yes.

Your timing is rotten. We are in the middle of our dinner. You are expected to start at six tomorrow morning. Breakfast is to be served at exactly half past six. Drive straight down the road, Beth said and pointed towards the cottage. See that cottage?

I do.

Your cottage is behind that one. Make sure you park your vehicle close to the cottage. I don’t want it getting in the way of anyone.

Sure.

We will see you in the morning. Beth walked back in to the house and sat down at the table.

Has Miss Brown arrived? Mitch asked.

She has, Beth said.

Well why on earth didn’t you bring her inside and introduce us? Mitch asked.

What the hell for? I don’t see the significance. You will get to meet her in the morning. I just hope that woman can cook as well as I can, Beth said as she carried on eating her meal.

Ivan looked down at his plate of food that Beth had made. The mashed potatoes were lumpy, and the piece of meat was charred. There were no vegetables and they opted for a slice of bread that was stale. It would be rather nice to have a decent breakfast in the mornings, Ivan said.

You have breakfast every morning. You cannot complain, Beth said and finished her meal and pushed her plate to the middle of the table. I will not be doing dishes tonight. The hired help can do that in the morning. I am going to bath and go straight to bed. Night, Beth said as she walked with her mug of coffee.

Ivan finished his meal and stood up and put his plate on the drainer. He took Beth’s plate and put it on top of his. When last did she actually do the dishes? The way Beth treated Miss Brown wasn’t right. Beth seems rather jittery at the moment. Is something going on? Ivan asked.

She was rather rude to Miss Brown. Does she realize how long she has been on the road? Ivan, Beth hasn’t been herself for the last three months at least. She is bitchy and moody. If she doesn’t buck up she can move back to mom and dad. If you behaved like that I would have sent you home a long time ago. But I rely on both of you and you do a good job.

Thanks Mitch. I try and stay out of Beth’s way.

It shouldn’t be that way. I am going to lie and read for a while. Once I have fixed the television set we will be able to sit and watch. Mitch stood up and put his plate on top of the others and made his way to bed.

Emma pulled up in front of her cottage. What Beth had called a cottage wasn’t a cottage, but a hideous room with a shower, toilet, hand basin, and the tiniest kitchen. There was no lounge. The only things that could fit in the room were a bed, chair, a cupboard and a tiny table which had been placed in the corner of the room. She had to accept and be grateful. At least she had a job and free accommodation. Rations for the month would also be supplied. Emma carried her sewing machine and set it up on the small table. She took her suitcase and packed her clothes in to the cupboard. She didn’t need that much space. But calling the room a cottage was not right. Emma carried her two boxes inside and packed the rest of her clothes in to the tiny cupboard. She moved the chair and put it next to the bed to use as a bedside table. Emma had her shower and climbed straight in to bed.

Mitch heard movement in the kitchen and climbed out of bed. He had his shower and walked to the kitchen. Good morning.

Good morning. Are you Mister Benson?

Yes, a pleasure to meet you Miss Brown.

Breakfast will be ready by half past. I was told that is the time you like to eat, Emma said.

I didn’t realize we had set rules. But I would appreciate eating early. My brother and sister should be through any minute now.

I need to be very clear. Who do I report to?

Me. You take orders from me. I own this ranch and give instructions. My brother Ivan works on the ranch. My sister, Beth, does the finances. I fill the function as the ranch manager and they both report to me.

When do my rations arrive?

They should already be in the cottage. We supply the basics to keep you going for a month. Milk is supplied weekly, fresh eggs and cheese. I will get Beth to check on that.

Please, if you could. I will start in the kitchen and work my way through the house. It might take a while. These counters need a good scrub.

You are the housekeeper so set your own schedule. The house is filthy. Beth seems to have her hands full at the moment.

Thanks. Emma asked how he preferred his eggs and put his plate of food on the table and he sat down ready for a proper meal. Coffee or tea?

Coffee for me please. Emma made him a cup of coffee and put the jug of milk and the sugar bowl on the table.

Ivan walked in smiling. Good morning Miss Brown. I am Ivan.

Good morning. What a pleasure to meet with you. Eggs soft or hard?

Sunny side up please. Ivan sat down and smiled. And coffee please. Emma smiled as she made him a cup of coffee and put it down with his plate of food.

One more to go Emma thought to herself. Beth walked in and gasped. You can’t use those plates! That is part of our dinner service for when we entertain! Beth yelled.

Good morning Beth, Emma said.

And do not call me Beth! You call me Miss Benson. Do not use these plates again! she yelled.

Right, Emma said and poured Beth a cup of coffee and left the eggs in the pan. She dished up and handed her the plate with the hard eggs. Mitch grinned as he looked at her well done eggs. So should I use the chipped plates in future?

No, Beth you are way out of line. Miss Brown please make use of whatever crockery you feel necessary. The things in the cupboard are there to be used. Beth, you need to apologize. Beth snorted inelegantly and carried on eating. And before you start your day please make sure the rations are delivered to the cottage for Miss Brown.

They are already in the cottage, Beth said.

Apparently not, Mitch said.

Yes they are! Beth yelled. It was silent as they sat and ate. Beth got up and walked to the study and slammed the door.

Come, Mitch said and stood up and Emma followed. He walked down to the cottage and tried to open the door. Locked? Why is it locked?

Emma cleared her throat. Mister Benson, that isn’t my cottage.

What do you mean?

I will show you my cottage. Mitch followed as they walked to the room behind the cottage. She opened the door and he followed her to the kitchen. He had to squeeze in to the tiny space. He opened the fridge and looked inside and frowned. There are no rations.

Yes, because this room is not the cottage. This place is a hovel! Who on earth told you to move in here?

Miss Benson. Mister Benson, the room will be fine. Maybe the cottage has been earmarked for someone or something else. At this stage, I do not need a war. All I need is a job and a roof over my head. This will do. I don’t need any altercations.

This was not the deal. I specified a cottage. This is a room. Can you give me a couple of days to sort out this mess?

Yes of course. He followed her out of the room and they walked back to the house.

Emma started work in the kitchen. The moment the men left she started cleaning the bedrooms. She made the beds and tidied. She didn’t have enough time to spend on the bedrooms. The kitchen was beyond filthy and the starting point.

The entire day was spent in the kitchen scrubbing. Every cupboard was cleared and wiped clean. Beth hadn’t even come out of the study. Emma wondered what on earth kept her so busy. She took the meat from the freezer and put it in to the fridge to thaw overnight. She admired her handiwork as she looked inside the fridge. So many containers had been emptied and things that were unrecognizable were discarded. Emma looked at her watch and heard the buzzer of the oven. The timer definitely worked. She took the roasting dish from the oven and put the roast chicken in to a serving dish and put it on the table. The vegetables were ready and she placed them in smaller serving dishes and put them on the table with the gravy boat. Mitch walked in and stared at the table. Good night Mister Benson. Enjoy your meal.

Thank you Miss Brown. I am sure we will. He washed his hands and Ivan walked in to the kitchen. They removed the lids from the serving dishes and groaned with pleasure.

They sat down and Beth walked in and stared at the food on the table. If we eat like this every day our monthly rations will not last! You need to speak with that woman. I can see she cleaned but what took the entire day? That is the question.

Beth, I am warning you. Do not interfere with my staff. Miss Brown reports to me. Today was her first day with us and we have a superb meal. These vegetables come out of our vegetable patch. The chickens were slaughtered for our freezers. I will have no more comments from you. Miss Brown will go through this house and clean it properly. It cannot be done in a day. I am not complaining. Did you arrange that the rations are moved to her quarters? Mitch asked.

Yes! Why is she so important?

I have a contract in place. Please arrange that she moves in to the cottage. Who on earth gave you the right to move her in to that back room?

Joke! Beth said and shrieked with laughter.

Not funny, Mitch said. Mitch savoured every mouthful of food. He kept wondering why Beth was so bitchy. Why she was so rude to Miss Brown. Or was it in general? Maybe the best place for her was behind closed doors.

Chapter 2

Emma worked like a Trojan. She started with Mitch’ bedroom and scrubbed, buffed and polished. The dirt and grime had built up over the years. She repacked his cupboards and made sure everything was neat and orderly. She looked at his tiny bookshelf which stood on his table in the bedroom. Emma removed the books and took the bookshelf and walked to the shed and carefully fixed the broken side. By the time the end of the day came she had fixed the bookshelf and arranged his minimal selection of books in alphabetical order. She packed them tightly and put a block of wood on the shelf so that they were lodged in and standing up instead of being an eye sore. She walked out to her quarters and fetched the thriller she had just read and placed it on the shelf. Emma looked at the mirror in his bedroom and smiled to herself. There wasn’t even a streak.

Emma had finished all her chores and walked through to the kitchen. She took the lasagne dish from the oven and put it on the table with the assortment of vegetables. She saw Mitch walking up to the house and waved as she left. Mitch walked in to the kitchen and sat down at the table. He was deep in thought when Ivan walked in and sat down with him. Whoa! Now this has to be my favourite!

Ivan, you say that every night.

They dished up for themselves and Beth walked in and looked at their meal in disgust. I am expected to eat this for dinner? After grafting all day?

I will have a word with Miss Brown and let her know you will take over the kitchen duties Beth.

Oh don’t be ridiculous! I don’t have time to even slap up a meal like this! Sometimes you take everything to heart Mitch.

Beth you had better snap out of this foul mood of yours. I have been tolerant thus far but I am nearing the end of my tether. Beth didn’t even answer but scooped up a huge serving for herself. They finished their meal and Beth got up and left the table without saying a word. Mitch smiled and looked at Ivan. Darn that was good!

Ivan hooted with laughter and nodded. They took the left overs and packed them in to the fridge. Ivan grinned as he handed Mitch a pudding. They sat down and devoured their treats. Miss Brown really knows how to run a household. The vegetables come from the garden. Our meals don’t cost that much.

Ivan, I spotted garlic in the vegetable patch.

Nine months to wait, Ivan said and grinned. They piled the dishes in the sink and both took a rag and wiped the counters. Mitch laughed and pulled Ivan closer and bear hugged him.

Makes a huge difference, doesn’t it Ivan?

Sure does.

Mitch locked up for the night and switched off the lights. He made his way to his bedroom. As he sat on the bed something caught his eye. Mitch admired his bookshelf and stood up and walked over and looked at his measly collection of books. He immediately spotted the new book. Mitch carefully removed it from the shelf and walked over to his bed and sat down and read the summary. He grinned as he put it on the bed and quickly had his shower. He climbed in to bed and started reading. Hours later he put his bookmark in the book and went to sleep.

After a month of scrubbing and making sure the house shone Emma had her routine in place. She was busy working in the lounge when Beth left the study and walked out of the house. Beth heard the two vehicles arrive and the different voices. She went to the kitchen and watched as Beth took the two men to the cottage, accompanied by one of the sheriff’s officers. She took out her cell phone and took photographs of the two men and the woman as they shook Beth’s hand.