Kennelmaid Nan
synopsis
17 year old Annabel “ Nan” Peters, had always longed to be a vet but she failed her General Certificate. The Head of her School contacted a friend of hers, Miss Frome, who ran the Assisi Kennels, and was in need of an assistant. Miss Frome agreed to take Nan on a six month trial. Nan was collected from the station by Averil Pearson, a tall dark girl, who was the senior assistant.
The Kennels were about 10 miles from the station at a rambling old house. Miss Frome was tall, with a square-chinned face, cropped iron-grey hair and blue eyes. The other staff were ‘Nanny’ the cook/housekeeper, and Jakes, the ‘right hand man’. Miss Frome explained the daily routine. Nan was to turn the adult dogs into the paddock or the covered run, then help with feeding until breakfast. Grooming, cleaning pens and exercise follows then dinner. Every other afternoon she was to help with exercise or training. After tea, the pups and nursing bitches are fed. She would have one afternoon off each week, and one weekend off every month. Miss Frome gave her one warning: always tell her the truth.
Miss Frome showed Nan how to feed the puppies then the adult dogs. She helped Averil change the bedding. Nan overheared Miss Frome telling Averil that she would not permit “that man” on the premises. Nan helped with grooming and takes some dogs for a walk.
After 6 weeks learning feeding, grooming and excercising, Nan goes to a Show as a helper. Averil meets “that man” Ralph Johnson, who runs True Blue Kennels. Miss Frome warned Nan about talking about Assisi kennels to Ralph as she didn’t trust him. Averil gets many bills in the mail. Nan bumps into Ralph Johnson who is waiting for Averil. Nan goes to Leomerton and buys some items from the chemist for miss Frome. She asks for a jar of face cream for Averil, who had told her to put it on her account. The chemist is unhappy as Averil has not paid her account for four months and asks her to tell Averill to pay her account by the end of next week or he’d inform miss frome. Nan passes the chemist’s message to averil who is furious, especially as Nan gives her opinion on not paying bills on time and owing money. Nan believes you should only buy things if you have the money and realizes she has made an enemy. Nan makes her debut at the County Agricultural show – handling the bitches Rowan and Ripple, winning second prize for Rowan in the Novice class. Ralph Johnson speaks to her and Miss Frome warns her about this again.
Nan meets Fleda Stanton, Miss Frome’s niece. Nan takes four dogs out for a walk, and overhears Ralph Johnson telling Averil to get rid of Nan, Averil says it is difficult as Miss Frome has taken a fancy to her. Nan realizes how much Averil dislikes her, assuming it is because of the chemist bill, but cannot understand Ralph’s statement. Fleda comes to stay and Nan tells her the story of Averil and Ralph. Fleda thinks that Ralph wants to damage the Kennels in some way in order to improve his chances with his own, that averil may have borrowed money from Ralph thus has a hold over her and that they may mean to harm one of the dogs.
Fleda and Nan have a day out at Thorsby, the county town. At supper they see Ralph having a meal with Moira, a young girl who works in the chemist. Fleda thinks Ralph will use moira to obtain something to upset the dogs. The girls decide to tell Jakes however find he has been called away to his sick mother. Miss frome asks Averil to cancel her trip to Thorsby on the day of the next Show, averil says it is a dental appointment and she can’t cancel. Miss frome asks Nan to show Robin at the Show instead.
The next evening Averil was feeding the dogs and Nan saw in the mirror Averil about to pour something on the feed from a bottle. Nan grabbed it, their fighting brought in Nanny and Miss Frome. Averil accused Nan of putting something in the food. Nan was stricken dumb. A message came over the radio about a lady who bought an emetic for a dog from the chemist, the emetic was mixed wrong and could have be fatal. Fleda came in and accused Averil of trying to poison Robin. Miss frome questions the three girls, Averil breaks down and Miss frome takes her away. Miss frome later explains that Ralph had helped Averil with her debts. He was in trouble himself as he couldn’t keep staff and was also in debt. To gain Averill’s help, he made a serious offer – to marry her and take her with him when he left the country. Moira had helped averil by providing the emetic. Averil still wanted to marry Ralph, Miss Frome had got him to agree to it, by stating that she wouldn’t make public the affair. Ralph had sold his kennels and they would be leaving the country.
contributed by Jenni Ambridge, Melbourne - working from a photocopy of a 1954 (1 st edition) hardback.