This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to SHIELD, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This is a Regency Era based AU and I will be pulling characters from all over the MCU. Fair warning. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.
Author's Note: Thank you once again for the nice review. I have my reasons for including Koenig's interest in Daisy, you shall see why eventually.
Chapter 8: The Interested Gentlemen
The morning after Peggy's engagement ball, the occupants of the Coulson household were later to wake than usual. Despite dancing every dance at the ball the night before, Daisy and Natasha were up before everyone else and went through their morning exercises. When they went to the breakfast room after they had cleaned up, it was to find it still empty save the foods just being laid out by the staff.
The two were hungry, however, and immediately collected food to eat. Natasha had found she was particularly fond of the breakfast dishes that Daisy's cook made and so she and Daisy were found eating similar foods when Leo and Jemma joined them a short while later. Jemma announced that she would be heading to Lady Victoria's home after they finished eating to aid in preparing for Daisy's coming out ball. Daisy and Natasha responded by stating they would be going to Lady Margret's for a visit.
Leo was happy to leave his wife and sister to their own devices as he was working on a new invention of his. Col. Ward had mentioned in a previous visit that his biggest frustration as a man of the military was that even their most advanced weapons, the pistol and the musket, were painstakingly slow in reloading and not the most accurate even then. A minute was a long time to reload a weapon before firing again. Leo, being ever the loyal royalist, was working on designs to resolve both the issue of accuracy and reloading.
The accuracy was the easiest to resolve since there were already was a way of improving accuracy in a 'rifled barrel' that had been invented a few hundred years before in Germany, though it's use was still uncommon. The other problem was much more cumbersome. At this point his train of thought was interrupted by his wife, "Dear, what have I said about shop talk at the table? That being said perhaps a revolving barrel of some sort could be used to increase the speed of reloading?" Jemma looked intensely amused as she stood from her empty plate.
Leo looked at her, surprised that he had once again been thinking out loud. He then noticed that Daisy and Natasha had already left and that his plate was almost finished. He looked to his wife in confusion, "When did they leave?"
"Oh, I would say about a half hour ago. It took you almost all that time to come up with that idea on the rifling in the barrel. I really must go now, dear. Aunt Vicky and Justine are expecting me rather early. We only have a few weeks left and there is so much to prepare," With this, Jemma stood and kissed him on the cheek before gathering her outdoor things and leaving him to his inventing.
Not even a half hour later, Col. Ward was brought to his study. He greeted his friend pleasantly and he explained his plan to create a new type of gun that was more efficient for the military to use. Ward only paid attention since the topic was so interesting. Once he finished, Leo looked expectantly at his friend, "That is ingenious. You are going to make another fortune off that if you can make it work. I only came to invite you and your family to a dinner my brother is holding next week. Are the ladies here? I should hand it to Mrs. Coulson as the mistress of the house." Ward looked more interested in the idea of speaking to them than anything else.
"No, they are all off visiting. Daisy and Miss Romanoff are visiting Miss Rogers and Lady Margret and Mrs. Coulson is with Aunt Vicky working on the ball for Daisy. I'll be happy to pass along the invitation though," Leo smiled absently as he took the invitation that Ward handed over with a slight frown. "Is there anything else?"
"Actually, yes, I was hoping that you could help me with improving my investments. The man that my brother hired to do so is an absolute fool and I'm not getting the returns I was hoping for. I had hoped that you could help me with that," Ward's smile was a lot less sincere, but he hoped that if he delayed long enough, he would still be there when the ladies returned.
"Of course, of course. Proper investments are vital to one's future," Leo nodded and slide aside his initial, very rough, diagram of his idea of a new pistol and rifle.
While Leo was trapped into assisting Col. Ward with his finances, Daisy and Natasha had stepped into absolute intrigue. When they entered the drawing room of Carter House, they found a smirking and teasing Peggy with a profusely blushing Stephanie. Natasha was the more interested of the two and immediately asked what both the newly arrived were thinking, "Whatever is going on, Peggy?"
Peggy's smirk grew as she turned to her friends and she stood, "Excellent timing. Natasha, perhaps you could assist me with interrogating Steph. She insists she has absolutely no idea as to why a man whom she has known her whole life, has shown a startling level of devotion to her over the years and happened to obtain two dances at the ball last night would request a private audience with my uncle, her legal guardian not fifteen minutes ago." Her smirk was immediately joined by Daisy's and Natasha's as well.
"Why, who ever could such a gentleman be?" Daisy asked teasingly as she took a seat on the other side of Stephanie who only blushed further.
"None other than the soon to be retired and very wealthy Captain Barnes. I do believe you are acquainted with him since you danced a set with him last night," Peggy responded, speaking across Stephanie in a mock whisper.
Daisy and Natasha made fake gasps as they turned to Stephanie who was now resembling a very ripe tomato in color. Daisy spoke first, "Well, why I can only think of one reason such a gentleman would do such a thing as to speak to Miss Rogers's guardian. Stephanie, you didn't behave improperly last night, did you? Nothing that might lead to a compromise?"
Stephanie gasped for real and glared at Daisy, "Absolutely not! Captain Barnes is an absolute gentleman and would never do such a thing. He also would have avoided any chance of such occurring! He would never do anything that isn't through the most proper modes of society," Stephanie may not have actually raised her voice but her shock and anger at such a suggestion was clear all the same.
Daisy, Peggy, and Natasha had to hold back their laughter at her revealing statement. Natasha was the first to have enough control to speak, "By that statement the only reason Captain Barnes could be in the study of your uncle is to, quite properly, ask for your uncle's permission to either court you or solicited your hand in marriage. Given the length that you have both been acquainted, I would think it would be the latter rather than the former."
Natasha's statement caused all the blood recently flushing Stephanie's face to drain from it. She opened her mouth and closed it several times before finally squeaking out, "You really think so?"
This more than anything else is what turned those teasing her into a more serious mode, "Yes, we all do. When the good Captain wasn't dancing with you, he was staring in your direction. You do want that right? To marry him?" Peggy asked gently, taking Stephanie's hand.
"O-of course I do… I-I just didn't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed. So many ladies have shown him their favor, it is hard to believe he would choose me," Stephanie's sigh was interrupted by the family's butler entering the room and informing Miss Rogers that her uncle requests her presence for a private audience with Captain Barnes.
The red all came back to the young woman's face as she stood and straightened the skirts of her morning dress before following the butler out of the drawing room. Peggy sighed in relief once the door was closed again, "Well, that is settled then. Those two have been dancing around each other since we were five and he was ten and about to go on his first ship. They didn't realize it, but I overheard James whispering to her that he would return and marry her one day. Those two have cared for no other despite the interest shown from plenty."
Natasha burst into laughter, "You never told me that one. So, they have had an understanding since that early. This must have been the most expected pairing in England. Thank heavens for unexpected pirate attacks and unfortunate but not too inconvenient injuries. Who knows how long it might have been waited for otherwise."
"Oh, not much longer I expect. While on our journey from China, Captain Barnes let slip that he intended to sell his commission within a year. The injury might have only sped up the event slightly," Daisy smirked. "I knew that he must have had some sweetheart that he intended to wed but I didn't realize that it would be one of my future friends."
"Oh, that is interesting news indeed. I think I will use that to keep William and Michael at bay if they decide to imply that James only gave up his commission because of the injury. I don't envy my sister-in-law though. Arranging two weddings will be a trial. I expect that Stephanie and James will only wait for the Banns to be read too," Peggy smiled.
Before anything further could be said, Lord Chester Carter came into the room followed by Captain Barnes with Stephanie's hand firmly secured on his arm. He held the hand there, even though it was a little overt as a display of affection. The man was absolutely beaming at Stephanie who held a blush on her cheeks still. Her smile however spoke volumes.
"Peggy, Miss Coulson, Miss Romanoff, Stephanie has some pleasant news to share I believe," Lord Carter stated as he stepped out of the way of the newly confirmed couple.
"C-Captain Barnes has asked for my hand and I have accepted. We are to marry in a month's time," Stephanie's blush deepened at her cousin's knowing look. An amused Lord Carter left at this point, secure that Peggy, Daisy and Natasha would be enough of chaperones to ensure propriety was maintained.
The Earl then went to inform his daughter-in-law about the wedding that needed to be planned before sending a letter to the Captain's father and a note to the papers for the announcements. The friends happily allowed Stephanie's joy to completely overtake any other conversation that might have occurred and spent a good deal of the morning discussing all the planning that would need to be done in preparation for the February wedding. Eventually, once the hour wore on to the point where others would be visiting, Daisy and Natasha bid Peggy and Stephanie fair well and returned home.
Their arrival coincided with the arrivals of both Mr. Koenig and Major Triplett. Mr. Koenig wasted no time in inviting the ladies and Major to go riding the next day. They all easily accepted, having no plans for the day and began working on the details while they all shed their outer ware and settled into the drawing room. Mr. Koenig also invited them to sit in his box at the theatre two days hence if they didn't have plans already.
As it was the one day that they hadn't already had an engagement planned for the evening, Daisy happily accepted on behalf of her family. As she did so, Col. Ward and Leo arrived in the drawing room, having been informed of the arrival of more guests. Col. Ward was disgruntled to realize that by staying so long with Leo, he had inadvertently forced himself into a corner dictated by society. He had been visiting well above a half hour, as such, it was only proper for him to excuse himself, despite having no opportunity to actually speak with Daisy.
Thus, he only relayed the invitation to Daisy for the dinner and then inquired if she would be free the next day to go walking. Daisy smiled politely and informed him that she had already agreed to go riding with Mr. Koenig and Major Triplett. The Colonel barely resisted the urge to grimace and left after promising to visit with Leo again the next day.
Mr. Koenig and the Major seemed happy to share the conversation with both Natasha and Daisy. They expressed their joy for Stephanie, whom Major Triplett knew much better than Mr. Koenig but both were sincere in their expressions. After that, they discussed their plans for riding the next day, each expressing a desire to see how Daisy got on with Mulan.
When a half hour passed, both gentlemen made their very proper departure. Once they were gone, Natasha couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, "Daisy, I must admit I am stunned. You seem to have not one but three suitors. How you ever managed that would be appreciated if you don't mind sharing your secrets."
Daisy rolled her eyes and sighed, "I wish I knew so that I could avoid at least one of them. Major Triplett and Mr. Koenig are both pleasant enough gentlemen, but I could do without Col. Ward. The man is a borderline pest. Who knows how long he was here while we were gone. He also, doesn't think me capable of anything beyond a basic set of feminine accomplishments."
"How fortunate for you then, that Mr. Koenig managed to catch us on the stairs to the house then, so that you could avoid a walk with the Colonel tomorrow. Also, I quite agree with you. He seems to be pleasant only on the surface. I doubt that man is acting without guidance though. He strikes me as more of an impulsive type of man. We should be wary of him," Natasha nodded. "Now, we must decide which riding outfit you will wear tomorrow. And we must also pray the weather holds. Though, out of curiosity, which do you prefer?"
Daisy sighed while thinking for a moment before giving her response, "It is really too early to tell either way really. Both seem like absolutely wonderful gentlemen. However, that being said, despite Major Triplett being the handsomer of the two, I feel that Mr. Koenig is the more interesting."
Natasha smiled and nodded, hoping only for the best for her friend. She also agreed about Mr. Koenig, his intelligence certainly outweighed the Major's good looks, not that that man was ignorant by any means. Still, Natasha suspected Mr. Koenig was simply more focused in Daisy's intelligence and perhaps a little less interested in his pursuit of Daisy for a wife.