The Orphan (Bailey Clan Westerns Book 15)

One Boy Survived the Massacre. Now a Man, He Fights to Reclaim His Legacy.

Rory Ward never knew he was born Rory Bailey. The only clue to his true identity was a note tucked into his infant waistband, left after a wagon train was ambushed and destroyed. Raised by loving foster parents in Kansas, Rory embraced the Ward name—until tragedy, war, and fate began to reshape his future.

As the Civil War erupts, Rory enlists in the Union Army, forging bonds of brotherhood on bloodied battlefields. When the war ends, he returns home with three loyal companions to a land ravaged by violence, greed, and lawlessness. Along the way, they defend a Missouri town under siege, rescue two orphans from a burned-out homestead, and find love in unexpected places.

But reclaiming his late uncle’s ranch means confronting a brutal renegade who’s seized it by force. In this fight for justice and belonging, Rory discovers what it truly means to be a Bailey.

A story of grit, loyalty, and identity set on the post-war American frontier, The Orphan is Book 15 in the Bailey Clan Westerns by Terence Newnes.

Get your copy of The Orphan and ride with Rory Bailey as he finds his place in a divided land—and his name in a family legacy.

Excerpt from the book

The wagon train was small, with only eight wagons. The pioneers going to the western lands were supposed to be part of a larger wagon train a year earlier, but sickness and two pregnancies had delayed these six families. There were plans for another large wagon train after a year, but the families decided not to wait. The year was 1850 and Elias Stein, who was the leader of the small group, told them, “I hear that the Indians are peaceful right now. Missouri shouldn’t be a problem, and the Kansa and Osage tribes in Kansas are quiet. I say we move now.” A tall, well-built man who had come down from the mountains with his wife a year earlier said, “I’ve been here a year now because my wife gave birth and I couldn’t join the earlier train. It’s been hard for us because we scraped together everything we could to outfit ourselves for this journey, and now our supplies are frittering away while we wait here.”

Elias told him, “It’s the same for us all, Pat, which is why we need to start now. If we wait another year, we may not be equipped to travel.” Pat nodded and said, “I agree, but I’ve been to those lands before and you can never be sure about the Indians. A few young warriors could take it into their heads to count coup and gain glory, and if they succeed in one or two attacks, then others will join them.” Elias frowned and asked him, “So are you saying that we shouldn’t go now, Pat?” But Pat shook his head and said, “I’m just saying that we should be alert. Our party can muster twenty guns when we include the women, so we should be able to hold off an attack by a small group of Indians. Let’s just make sure that we have enough ammunition and follow that old saying.” One of the men asked, “What old saying?” Pat said grimly, “Trust in God but keep your powder dry!”

They had crossed Missouri without much trouble, except for the usual difficulties such as crossing rivers and negotiating rough terrain. They had a good blacksmith in Elias, and another man, James, was a skilled carpenter. Together they kept the wagons and the horses in good shape. Pat was a hunter and a trapper, and he had been to the West before this. He always scouted ahead and found the best trail possible for the wagons while he hunted fresh meat for everyone. Pat and his wife had a one-year-old son, and another couple had a six-month-old daughter. There were two boys and two girls aged between six and eight years old, and Pat drilled them daily in loading the guns.

They had crossed the Kansas River and were crossing the prairie when they were hit by a large band of Pawnee. Pat came racing back to the wagons and shouted, “Circle them! Circle them! The Pawnee are coming!” The large band of warriors had attacked the Kansa tribe and, on their return, they had spotted the wagon train.