Never Alone

Be the best you can be, Lydia’s mother always told her. Be the best ten year old, or sixteen year old, or housekeeper. Don’t try to be older than you are or something that you aren’t. Lydia helped her Papa through the death of her mother and then found herself past the courting age.
At twenty-one, she determined to venture out on her own and become a housekeeper for a wealthy family. She lived in a cottage on the Spencer estate for a year and a half when the Spencer’s planned a trip to the mountains. Because she was unmarried, and the trip would take several months, she was asked to go along as the children’s nanny rather than the assistant housekeeper.
When Mrs. Spencer came down with altitude sickness, Mr. Spencer, his butler, two of the children, and Lydia took the horse and wagon train up and over the mountain passes. Phyllis, the thirteen-year-old daughter did everything she could to spoil the passage for everyone. One of her antics resulted in Lydia being left behind and not told that plans had changed.
When a rockslide separated them, they were sure she went over the side with the force of the slide. Narrowly escaping, Lydia continued to follow what little trail she could until she met up with the trail repair crew.
That started a whole new adventure.