Captain John Grayson woke from a nightmare to someone pounding on the door to his room. Upon opening it, he found a young woman outside asking for her husband, Captain John Grayson. Since she was about to give birth, John helped her into his bed and assisted in the birth of her son. To John's dismay, there is the matter of a marriage certificate showing both their names.  Despite the proof, John knows he is not married.

Not knowing what to do with her, John enlists the help of his cousin’s wife.  The woman, Maggie, and her newborn move to John's cousin's house on Curzon Street, and he then departs to return to his unit.  Eventually the cousins move Maggie to John’s home at Summerton Hall. Two years elapse and John purchases his release from his unit. When he finds Maggie and her son at Summerton Hall, John is at a loss as to what to do. 

Almost immediately I suspected that a dirty trick had been played on Maggie and John, but by whom?  As the story developed, I could see John and Maggie falling in love but there were obstacles to be overcome. For some reason, Maggie was hiding her past.  

I found THE IMPROPER WIFE and all of its characters to be very lifelike.  The story seemed factual for the period of time. I’ll be looking for more books from Diane Perkins.