'Janie Steps In' by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer Quiz

Answer: Car accident

Eight months earlier, Sir Charles and Lady Gatty Blakeney were in his car when he swerved to avoid a child who had run into the road. Gatty was thrown out of the car and landed on her head, dying instantly, while Charles was severely injured and had to go on a long sea voyage to recover. Nan has been staying with her cousin Rosamund Willoughby, but Rosamund finds her depression hard to deal with and worries that Nan is taking too long to recover.

She decides to send Nan to stay with Janie, as Janie is more capable of helping her.

Answer: The Ozannes

Nan meets a couple of boys and their father. While their father goes away to talk to an acquaintance, the boys wind seasick people up by making a point of talking about the food on the boat. They try to do it to Nan, but she doesn't get seasick easily and doesn't fall for the prank. Nan discovers that the boys are Bill and Michael Ozanne (Nella and Vanna are at home), and introduces herself. Paul Ozanne looks after Nan until the Lucys arrive to collect her. Janie hears Nan's story and is glad that the boys cheered her up a little.

Answer: Skeletons

At bedtime, Janie hears any confessions the kids might have along with their prayers. Nan hears her exclaim and wonders what happened, and Julie explains to her that John had painted skeletons on the seawall with quick-drying paint, which will be difficult to clean off. Julian spanks him the next day.

The Lucys have a 'forbids' system, which means that if they expressly forbid the kids to do something, they cannot do it. However, the Lucy kids are very inventive when it comes to mischief!

Answer: Pride

Anne Chester has six children: Paul, Beth, Nancy, twins Dickon and Robin, and Barbara (a seventh, Janice, comes along later in the 'Chalet School' books). The Chesters are not very well off as Peter Chester's dodgy solicitor embezzled his savings, so he only has his salary to live on. Anne is very proud and does not want to accept help from her family, seeing it as charity, although Paul Ozanne pays for Paul's education as he is Paul's godfather, and Janie does the same with Nancy. Beth is too old for a governess and has to go to school, but her parents can only afford to send her to Miss le Poidevin's school, where most of the girls are from a different background to Beth.

Beth is not allowed to make friends with the other girls or invite them over, and Peter takes her to and from school. Because of this, she is bullied. Barbara Chester is also very delicate and Anne worries about her a lot, and Beth has to help parent her younger siblings. Beth hates being the oldest daughter and worries that Anne loves Barbara more than her, and Janie is concerned that Anne's behaviour is badly affecting Beth.

Answer: Apples

Janie and Nan are doing some shopping for the Chesters, who are staying with Anne's friend Mélie Tregaskis in Cornwall. They order a load of apples from Guérin's to go in the Chesters' apple loft. However, it turns out that the other families have had the same idea. Peter had ordered apples from Le Marchant's as the Chesters' apple trees had failed; Paul and Elizabeth Ozanne both ordered apples, from Lemercier's and the Rosomons, respectively; and Julian had a meeting with Tom Le Martin, who also had apples he wanted to get rid of, and told him to send them to Pierres Gris (the Chesters' home).

Finally, Anne reveals that Mélie, who is married to a farmer, gave her crates of apples to take home as the Tregaskis had a bumper crop. It takes the families a long time to put all the apples away! The apple incident is also beneficial to Nan, as she makes friends with the families while helping with the apples.

Answer: David Willoughby

David is Nigel Willoughby's nephew and his brother Rex is married to Con Atherton, one of Nan's cousins (Cuthbert Clitheroe is Maidie Willoughby's husband). He is in the Navy and is visiting La Rochelle when Nan and Janie come in soaking wet. David takes a liking to Nan, who he had met previously at Rosamund and Nigel's wedding, and takes her for a walk. Janie and Anne suspect that Nan might have fallen in love with David, but worry that it might be too soon as Nan is only seventeen.

When David is on board his ship, he and Nan write to each other. He is stationed in the West Indies and buys her a shawl in Kingston, and wants to send her a ring. Nan tells Janie, although Janie has figured it out anyway and warns Nan to think about it carefully before making any decisions, and to meet other men first, as she is still very young and inexperienced.

Answer: Paint box

Julie and Nancy paint green and red spots on their faces and are caught by Anne, Janie and Beth, who is furious with them because they have messed up her paintbrushes and paints. Anne tells her off for being rude and Janie sticks up for her, also promising to get Beth new paints and brushes. Janie is angry with Anne over her pride and refusal to pay for Beth's education, and points out that it isn't charity, just the rest of the family wanting to help someone they love. Anne is more lenient towards Beth, but Barbara gets bronchitis and Anne has to look after her, and Beth still thinks Anne doesn't care about her.

Answer: Mumps

While Janie is away, Nan gets a scare when she thinks Betsy has mumps, but Peter Chester comes to visit and deduces that she has been painted with nail varnish. However, the Lucy children - except Vi, who is with Janie - get measles from the Ozannes, and the Chesters have to be quarantined with the Lucys in case they have it, because getting mumps could potentially kill Barbara. Beth, Nancy, Robin and Dickon all become ill and stay at the Lucys' house.

Beth is very ill and is miserable because Anne can't come over, due to the risk to Barbara. Peter tries to explain this, but Beth is convinced that her mother doesn't love her. Nan looks after Beth and reassures her that Anne does care, and that she has sent Beth roses. Anne comes to visit and takes the younger Chesters home with her, but Beth has to stay on as she is still too ill. Meanwhile, Nan gets a letter informing her that her father is dying and is comforted by Julian.

Answer: Swapping his new doormat for an old one

Colonel Hayward comes over to the Lucys' to complain about John swapping his doormat. Although he is forbidden from leaving the house without an adult, John explains what happened: Dulcie, the Chesters' maid, took him and the twins for a walk and they had to wait outside while she gave Miss Murgatroyd (the Colonel's nosy neighbour) a message. Two other boys were daring each other to swap the doormats, saying the Colonel would 'blow the roof off', and John took it literally and swapped the doormats because he wanted to see the Colonel actually blow the roof off his house.

Luckily for John, the Colonel sees the funny side of it and makes peace with John. It is revealed that he lost his only son in war and that John's prank had given him the first good laugh since then. (Miss Payne, another villager, is the owner of Greek statues that John dressed up as a prank.)

Answer: Barnabas

Six months have gone by since Nan came to Guernsey and her father has died, after being put ashore at Madeira to spend his last days there. Janie is pregnant and about to give birth, and Guernsey superstition says that the baby must have a name when it is born. Nan suggests 'Barnabas', Julian's middle name, as it means 'son of consolation' and Janie and Julian consoled her when she was going through a hard time. Janie gives birth to a son and he is christened Barnabas Julian, and Nan is his godmother.