"What would you claim as your favorite part of the job?" Anthony asked as lunch was winding down at the Thai restaurant Peggy had taken him to. For the better part of an hour, she'd had his full attention as she regaled him with stories from the Strategic Scientific Reserve. He was, of course, unfamiliar with any of it, from the technology involved to the war she had lived and worked through, which only added to his fascination.
Peggy was enjoying her afternoon with Anthony. They had fallen into a somewhat comfortable conversation over lunch, mostly one-sided on her part, to her surprise. She hadn't expected him to be so interested in what she did, and she had to remind herself to stop making judgements about people. She set her fork down and sat back, considering his question for a moment. "Oh, I don't know," she said, stalling. "I suppose it's twofold. One is that it's challenging, that it was never the same from day to day. Even when I was at the front during the war, no two days were the same. And two, that I was working in a field mostly closed to women, and I had the satisfaction of regularly shocking my male colleagues."
That was admittedly the second reason Anthony was enjoying this conversation. Peggy Carter was highly accomplished, and she reveled in it. It was an attractive quality.
"How did you decide upon that particular field?" he asked. "Especially given that it would have seemed an unlikely option?"
"It was, yes. Initially I began as a codebreaker at the start of the war. I've a head for numbers, patterns, that sort of thing. There were several women out at Bletchley Park doing that work. I was asked to join the SOE but - well, truthfully, I said no the first time. My fiancé, whom I met at Bletchley, didn't think it was much of a place for a woman, especially as the role was meant to eventually join the front. I admit that, at the time, I agreed with him. I liked what I was doing, and I was good at it. However -" Peggy cut herself off for a moment, letting the memories flick through her mind as she gathered her thoughts. "My brother had recommended me for the promotion, I came to learn. And then - well, he died. During the war. Doing his line of work. And suddenly - well, staying back, getting married, living that life didn't really seem to suit me as much as I originally thought. So I accepted the position with the SOE the second time it was offered."
That was a lot to take in, and Anthony's brow furrowed as she relayed her motivation was based on her brother's passing. "I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "Were you close?" But he'd also noted that she'd gone from accepting her fiancé's stance to the complete opposite, and it resonated with him for the changes going on in his own life.
"Yes, Michael and I were very close," she said. "Thank you. It was a long time ago, not that that means I don't miss him of course. Just - I've had a lot of loss, and gain, over the years. And here - well, you never know who might turn up here." Peggy's mind drifted off to Steve, who she still had trouble believing was actually here and alive, along with his unbelievable story.
* * *
"My family is rather close as well," Anthony said, as they moved the conversation outside. The streets of Vallo were much louder than any he'd been on prior to his arrival, but he found that if they kept close, they could speak easily. He wasn't sure if Peggy had a destination in mind, but he was content either way. "My parents loved each other, not always the case in marriage, and even my friends found my family peculiar." It had been vexing, attempting to step in and fill his father's shoes as head of the family. Anthony wanted to do right by them, but he felt himself ill-prepared and was often distracted in trying to straddle two worlds; freedom and responsibility.
"I did not expect that I would step into my role as Viscount as early as it fell to me. I was not ready."
Peggy nodded as he spoke. She knew it was never easy to lose a loved one, especially a parent. But to lose someone at a younger age than was more "normal" had to be even worse. "How long has it been?" she asked, "since you've become Viscount?"
The topic of his family interested her, so she moved toward it. "You have a large family? I know you have two sisters at least, yes? They're both here." The family she had here was of found family, people like Steve and Bucky and everyone who knew her as the co-founder of SHIELD. She had been embraced by them, respected and lauded, and it gave her a lot to live up to.
"I can't say that I'm in your exact situation, because of course I'm not. But since arriving here," she said, "I've learned that later in my life I did things that many of the people here know about, and it's hard to live up to the expectations of myself. That's a funny thing to say, isn't it?"
"Eleven years," Anthony replied. "Bee sting. Such a small, seemingly insignificant and harmless creature and then there was nothing we could do. And yes, it is a large family. I have seven younger siblings who all turned to me but I am not my father. It would be impossible to live up to him though I have not always tried in earnest," he admitted.
The idea that Peggy had people who knew of her, and of things she'd not yet accomplished was puzzling, but he understood it on a smaller scale. "Daphne arrived here before myself and Eloise, and she does not know the entirety of what we know, nor does it appear that she wishes to."
Peggy almost reached out to touch his arm, something she might have done if this were Steve or Daniel or someone from nearer her time. Instead, she kept her arms at her sides. "I'm sorry. That must have been quite the shock when it happened." Any unexpected death was.
She nodded. "I can understand that," she said. "The not wanting to know. I think there are others here who think similarly. I'm not that type of person though. The first thing I did was ask Steve to tell me everything, and I've also done some reading up on myself otherwise as well. I'd rather be fully prepared for any conversation rather than feel ignorant when someone brings up something I should be aware of." She paused for a moment. "What about you? Are you going to look yourself up, find out the future that you would be living if you were still there and not here?"
"It was," Anthony agreed, and considered discussion on the matter settled. Fortunately, Peggy provided him with a welcome change of topic.
He was aware that he could read up on himself, but the time to do so had not yet presented itself. "Perhaps," he answered. "When I am more settled I will research if an account of my future exists. Back home I had just decided..."
His words came to an unexpected halt as he considered whether or not he wanted to reveal so much of himself to Peggy. "Forgive me, Miss Carter. I find myself quite at ease in your presence, but this is unfamiliar territory for me."
She arched an eyebrow at him when he cut himself off. "There's nothing to forgive. It's your decision what you'd like to tell me or not. I promise I won't be offended if you choose not to finish that thought. I've spent the last decade in a career that required secrecy and, well, let's just call it a subversion of the truth. If you prefer to keep things to yourself, by all means, please do."
"Subversion of the truth, or simply that I've not yet adjusted to societal norms that now allow a greater freedom in who I choose to converse with, or not having to worry that my behavior may have an adverse effect on my sisters' marital prospects."
He offered her a wry smile.
"That my sisters may choose to do something other with their lives here other than wed and produce offspring is another such change, and a welcome one at that even if I know Daphne was on her way to the sort of rare happiness my parents had."
"Happiness is certainly something to strive for," Peggy said, smiling back at him. Her mouth turned down for a moment as she thought about the moments of happiness in her own life, where they were headed, how they disappeared, where that put her now. "I'm sure your sisters, and you as well, know that you can see Vallo as some kind of fresh start. It's not 1813 here, just like, for me, it's no longer 1948. It's a welcome change, in many ways."
"Indeed it is," Anthony said thoughtfully.
* * *
"Her name is Siena," Anthony said, leaning back, a pint firmly in hand. "She is an opera singer, and when I arrived here, I had hoped chance might have brought her along as well." He wasn't even sure how he'd managed to bring her up in conversation, and was only on his first drink at the pub they'd stopped in at, but there it was, out in the open.
"We could not have the relationship I wanted back home, as naive as I was to hope for it."
"Who knows," Peggy said, wrapping her fingers around the neck of the bottle of beer she'd ordered, "she could still show up. But - " And she hesitated a little before continuing. "That doesn't mean it would work out here, either. A relationship with her, I mean. I -" She paused to take a drink. "Someone who is very dear to me, a man I love very much, is here. We weren't able to have a relationship before either." She decided not to complicate matters by saying that he had died. "And while we're both here now, it's still not in the cards for us. I can't say I'm not disappointed about that, but what's important to me is that he's happy. And he is."
Anthony considered Peggy as she spoke, as that had been a thought. If Siena were to arrive, would she even want to be with him? Surely she was with that man with the exceptionally ridiculous hair only because she could not be with him.
Even so, their parting had seemed so final.
"Well, I am sorry. Even if you are grateful for his happiness, not being with the person you love is rather painful. Which is why I had decided to forsake love, and marry as a man in my position must, with intentions of finding myself a bride during the next season."
He offered her a slight smile. "It seems Vallo has intervened on my behalf."
She sat back, bemused. "So you were just going to - what? Find some biddable woman who wanted to marry you for your fortune or your name and then have her pop out a kid or two, making sure you have an heir of course, and then - ?" Peggy moved her hand a bit as though to gesture to whatever future he'd imagined for himself.
"I have to say I'm glad you're here then, instead of there. Unless you're planning to do the same here?"
Peggy's questions were met with an appreciative laugh on Anthony's part. "Yes, that is exactly what was expected of me. Second sons are the ones that may stray from the path." Of course he had also strayed, but not permanently.
"I am most definitely not approaching my life here with the same intentions," he added. "Rather, I am enjoying my newfound freedom."
"You said your parents loved each other. Why do you think that path was out of reach for you?" she asked, truly curious. "Surely not all marriages in your time were devoid of love, affection, or lust." She picked up her beer again and considered him across the high top from her. "I'm glad to hear that you'll take to your freedom here. Perhaps you'll even be surprised at your outcome."
"They did," Anthony confirmed. "And Daphne found it as well, though she's unaware. But I did love already. What I am looking for was not going to be found within my familial and societal obligations."
He seemed pretty sure of the matter.
Peggy stayed quiet for a moment. He certainly seemed to have made up his mind and while she was certain nothing she could say would change his mind, that didn't mean she wouldn't say it. "You know that it's possible to fall in love more than once, yes? Just because you've loved and lost doesn't mean you won't ever love again." She finished her beer with a shrug. "But I suppose even saying that doesn't matter here. You aren't bound by any obligations, except for ones you impose upon yourself, here in Vallo."
Anthony listened, but he was skeptical. Love was elusive, and even with Siena he wasn't entirely certain that he truly loved her. Nor did he consider it important enough to dwell on the matter presently.
"Fortunately, I have other things to preoccupy my time here, such as seeing that my sisters are adjusting and finding myself an occupation even with no prior employment experience." His sisters had arrived before him, and were more acquainted to the world now than him, but he still felt it his role to look after them. That was a role he did not protest against, as his family was important to him.
Peggy wasn't surprised by his response. Most people who have been burned by love have turned cynical. She knew she had her own cynical side to tamper down at times, too. So a topic change seemed warranted. "Then you seem to have considered everything. What do you think you'll do for employment? Have you found anything yet that interests you?"
"I haven't the slightest idea," Anthony answered honestly. "The most I did at home was advise others on occasion." Technically, he had been in charge but he had people to run things for him. "Keeping an eye on people and knowing who had unpaid debts does not seem as though it would be any sort of work I'd want here."
He shrugged. "Perhaps once I have a better grasp on the world myself, I'll get a job with the department that met me on my own arrival."
"It might be helpful to have someone from such a time in the past as you were in the DOA. Especially when it comes to the learning curve that you - or even I, because there was still enough for me to learn here that was strange and fantastic to me - had. I'm sure any newcomers in similar situations would appreciate your perspective."
For the first time since arriving, Anthony figured he might have an idea of what he could be useful at, even if the idea was daunting. It had been a stray idea, but now as he pondered it, and Peggy echoed his own thoughts, he decided to pursue it.
"Thank you, Miss Carter," he said. "I'll look into it."
Peggy smiled warmly at him. "You're welcome, Anthony."