Stella is a divorced, independent middle-aged woman living in London during WWII. She works for a government agency and deals with the surreal daily reality of wartime life. Fiercely independent, she values her autonomy and presents a confident face to the world.

Robert is Stella's lover, a man who works in the War Office and walks with a limp from a wartime knee injury. He is deeply entwined with Stella, their relationship seemingly insulated from the chaos of the outside world. He comes from a conservative family with a country estate called Holme Dene.

Harrison is a mysterious counterspy for England around 38 or 39 years old, possessing uneven eyes and an unsettling demeanor. He operates in the shadows, communicating through insinuation rather than direct statements. He has no clear place of residence and seems detached from normal social conventions.

Roderick is Stella's 20-year-old son, currently in army training awaiting his commission. He represents the younger generation growing up in a war-torn world. He recently inherited an Irish country estate, Mount Morris, which sparks his interest in becoming a responsible landowner and gives him hope for a post-war future.

Louie is a 27-year-old woman originally from Seale-on-Sea, living alone in London while her husband serves in India. Having lost her parents in the Battle of Britain, she is profoundly lonely and struggles to find her footing in the displaced wartime environment.

Mrs. Kelway is Robert's mother, who lives in a large house that has been up for sale for years. She is a proud, somewhat severe woman who keeps extensive photographs of her son, creating an atmosphere that feels oddly static and memorializing.

Ernestine is Robert's older sister, who spends time at the family estate with her mother. She is pragmatic and deeply entrenched in the Kelway family's traditional, slightly stifling domestic routines.

Amabelle is Robert's second sister. She maintains ties to the family estate of Holme Dene, where her children frequently stay with their grandmother and aunt.

Connie is an independent woman living in London who reads newspapers obsessively and follows the war's progress closely. She provides Louie with companionship and a broader perspective on the world.

Donovan is the caretaker of the Mount Morris estate in Ireland. He maintains the property and keeps track of its visitors, serving as a bridge between the estate's past and its new owner.

Nettie is the widow of Cousin Francis, currently living in a facility as a patient. Despite her circumstances, she is surprisingly lucid about family history and harbors distinct opinions about where she wishes to live.

Francis is a deceased relative whose passing sets off Roderick's inheritance of the Mount Morris estate in Ireland. His funeral acts as the catalyst for several characters crossing paths.

Victor is Stella's deceased ex-husband and Roderick's father. A veteran injured in WWI, he divorced Stella under circumstances that she has kept quiet for years to protect her own pride.

Tom is Louie's husband, currently serving with the British Army in India. His absence leaves his wife deeply isolated and searching for connection in wartime London.

Anne is one of Amabelle's children, staying at her grandmother's house. She is a minor presence who highlights the multi-generational nature of the Kelway home.

Frank is a fellow soldier in the army and Roderick's closest friend. Though largely off-screen, he represents Roderick's connection to his peers in the military.