Nat

Nat was born to a diplomat British father and distantly noble Russian mother. He has been working for the British Secret Service for 25 years and at the start of the novel, the service dominates his identity and perspective on the world. He can only think and act in terms of service protocol. He begins the novel quite patriotic and believes the Service does good for Britain and the world. By the end, he realizes that the service's patriotism does not match his own.

Throughout his career, Nat has sacrificed his family life for his job. For those reasons, Nat begins the novel with a strained relationship with Steff and having been unfaithful to Prue many times during his career. Throughout the novel, Nat learns to prioritize his relationship with his family over his career. Nat's career and lack of moral conviction are in great contrast to Steff and...