Wounds of the heart are the hardest to heal. Solicitor’s clerk George Johnson has a secret goal when he moves into a London boarding house in the winter of 1920: to find out if his fellow lodger, Matthew Connaught, was the wartime traitor who cost George’s adored older brother Hugh his life. Yet the more he gets to know his quarry, the more George loses sight of his mission -- and his heart. Blessed with boyish good looks and charm in abundance, ad man Matthew is irrepressibly cheerful despite having lost an arm in the Great War -- and soon makes plain his attraction to George. As George’s feelings for Matthew grow, so does his desperation to know the truth about what happened that day in Ypres. Even if bringing all their secrets to light means he’ll lose the man he’s come to love.

To Love a Traitor

The fire in the grate had burned down to a feeble glow, and Matthew busied himself with the fire irons, poking the ashes until they looked a little livelier and putting on more coal. “There, that’s better.” He turned suddenly with a grin. “You know, I’ve just worked out who you remind me of. It’s been niggling at me since I first saw you.”


George’s heart seemed to pause mid-beat. “Oh?” he said as casually as he could.


“Isn’t it obvious? Dark hair, green eyes, svelte figure—you’re the image of Marmaduke!”


George’s laughter was probably a shade too loud, but relief tended to have that effect on him.


Chapter 4