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

Later, when George and Matthew were idling in the drawing room, talking of this and that, the reverend came in, having been engaged upon some parish business. “Matthew, could I have a word with you?” he asked.


“Of course, Father.” Matthew sprang up from his chair, clapping George on the shoulder. “I’ll be right back, George.”


They retreated only as far as the next room, and through the open door, George could watch them as they talked. It amused him to see they used the exact same mannerisms—he wondered if they were aware of the fact. He became less comfortable, however, as he realised each of them was periodically glancing over at him, their expressions hard to decipher. Could the reverend be warning his son against George?


Trying to convince himself he must have developed something of a persecution complex, George was relieved when the little conference broke apart and Matthew returned to him. “Nothing serious, I hope?” was all the enquiry he dared make.


Chapter 44