Stella Rodney
Stella is a middle-aged English woman, mother, and divorcee. Her husband left her with a grown-up son Roderick Rodney. Stella works for a government in a coding section and due to the nature of her job she is heavily guarded. On one fateful morning, she bumps into Robert Kelway who invites her out for dinner. After a few nights, Stella falls in love with Kelway. However, Stella finds out that Kelway is a Nazi Sympathizer from her co-worker Robert Harrison. Robert blackmails Stella in exchange for his silence. She is faced with a dilemma of whether to confront Kelway or agree to sleep with Harrison in exchange for his silence.
Roderick Rodney
Roderick is a British soldier and Stella’s son. He prefers being isolated and distancing himself from people. His mother worries that this behavior will lead to a lonely life. Roderick is close friends with Fred. Apart from his mother, Fred is the only person Roderick trusts.
Louie Lewis
Lewis is a friend of Stella. The two were close until Stella got divorced and buried herself in her work. Lewis is married to a British but after his deployment; Lewis has an affair and gets pregnant. As the book concludes, Lewis gives birth to a healthy boy to whom she dedicates her life.
Robert Kelway
Kelway is Stella’s lover and a former soldier. He has an injured leg from the Dunkirk war. After the war, Kelway suffered from traumatic stress which drove him into becoming a Nazi spy as a way of recovering his identity. After Stella confronted him on his real identity, Kelway admitted to being a Nazi spy. He was found dead the next day after he allegedly jumped off the roof of his apartment.
