My opinion is:

Based on her orientation by Joan, she was demonstrating that she was prepared to be "available" to him.

But Don, again IMHO, picked up on that and did not take advantage of her innocence/naivite (like Pete later did).

Perhaps at that moment -- perhaps at some other moment -- I sensed that Don felt a comaraderie with Peggy of sorts.

Don was "on the run" to escape what he was and become something -- anything -- else that was better.

Peggy knew where she came from, didn't like it, and was determined to do something -- anything -- to better herself.

From that moment of mutual recognition -- a bond was borne. (:

The bond or connection between Don and Peggy is very strong and I think that we will see more evidence of it in future episodes. There have been some foreshadowings. First, remember what Don said about the AA presentation? That it would be like giving birth to a stillborn baby. This could be a clue that Peggy's baby was stillborn. Second, remember when Don told Betty that his father beat him alot and that it just made him look forward to the day when he could murder him? This could be a clue that Don may have been involved in his father's death, and as a result perhaps, he left for the army, as a way to escape his family or avoid serving time. Don may view Peggy's pregnancy as a similar experience to his own and a chance for Peggy to start over, hence his advice to Peggy to just look forward. What do you think?

ikd711: Don's father died when Don was ten years old, so I don't think he ran off to the army just then. However, I have always thought Don had some part in the "accident" where the horse kicked his father in the head and caused his death. This belief was reinforced recently when Don told Betty that as a child he fantacized about murdering his father.

I don't think Don knew Peggy at all when she was hired. He had a reputation for being hard on his previous secretaries which is why Joan took Peggy under her wing a bit at first but her advice was terrible, i.e. 'opening up' to the boys in the office. IMO she wouldn't have slept with Pete if she wasn't under the false impression that the Pill was 100% effective which she wouldn't have had if Joan hadn't of hooked her up with a OB/GYN.

That being said, Peggy proved herself to Don. She was perceptive and discreet and when the time came she proved herself to be more. Promoting her was a win-win for Don as it also allowed his to put the Boys Club (especially Pete) in their place by disrupting their game by adding a girl to the mix. Right after his move, she disappeared and he had to find out why to save face. When he did find her and discovered her true situation, he told her to get over it and move on with her life which was to both their benefit. Peggy had to be grateful as Don held her job open for her after giving her the nudge she needed to get better.

They may have a mutual understanding that allowed Don to rely on her when he screwed up, but he would have swept it way quickly if Peggy hadn't have stood up to him in the end, taking that understanding to a higher level.

Having Peggy on his side (for reasons no one else, that we know of, in the office can possibly fathom) is an advantage for Don. I agree that Peggy has played the role of spoiler well, and with little coaching (except for the book that he sent to her?) from Don. It's interesting to think about whether Peggy/Don's mentor relationship would be possible if Peggy was a man. It also seems to me that Don feeds Peggy's creativity, and then expects her to come up with the ideas without any overt collaboration. At some point Peggy will outgrow this and demand full credit for her work.

Peggy was only testing the waters to see which way would be to her advantage.

Ever notice that when she was his secretary, they had a morning routine down like they had been doing it forever. She takes his hat & coat, while informing him of everything little thing he may need to know from who he has an appointment with to who called and what was said etc etc. And she minds her own business, well at least keeps her mouth shut and her big ears open.

Peggy was only testing the waters to see which way would be to her advantage.

Ever notice that when she was his secretary, they had a morning routine down like they had been doing it forever. She takes his hat & coat, while informing him of everything little thing he may need to know from who he has an appointment with to who called and what was said etc etc.

And she minds her own business, well at least keeps her mouth shut and her big ears open. She's a great assistant.

And a--hole Don didn't and doesn't appreciate her. Actually who does Don appreciate? He wasn't really in love with Rachel. She was just something he couldn't have. He can't be faithful to anyone. Peggy should watch her back.

Once more, the baby was NOT stillborn. We saw the nurse trying to hand him to Peggy and she turned away.

I think we're all giving Don way too much credit, and rationalizing our attraction to him. We find him compelling, and very physically attractive (although I long for whatever year it was that men gave up pajamas for boxers in bed!) and therefore we're forcing ourselves to see some good in him. Really, there's nothing in there.

Don is empty because he switched lives just as his original one was starting -- he left behind a barely formed personality for one he knew even less about.

I don't think Don knows anything about Peggy's baby, and he doesn't care all that much. His goal was to find out where Peggy was and to get her back to work. He doesn't care what put her in the hospital.

If he had known about the baby he would have just said, "Give up the baby or take it home, just take care of things and get back to work." If the writers wanted to keep up the suspense so we still wouldn't know just what happened with the baby, they could have had him say something like "Deal with the baby and get on with things." Still nice and vague.

His saying, "Whatever they want you to do, just do it" -- that was simply a boss giving orders to an employee about something he didn't want to be bothered with. Hasn't your boss ever said, "Look, I don't care to hear all the details -- just do what they want and get on with it"? He doesn't want to know what they want her to do, doesn't want to even know what the issue is.

SoFla - you are totally right about our reaction to Don. We find Don sexy and want to find a way to make him good so we don't feel guilty about liking the bad boy. Don is in fact selfish and self-serving most of the time, and he really doesn't care too much about people beyond himself.

I do think he cares a little about what happens to Peggy, though, because he sees a little of himself in her trying to move up in the world. His advice was really more like that of one lost soul to another - "Do whatever you can to forget the painful past and move forward."

Relax flowerpower, I think lkd711's remark about still born was not far off. Maybe her baby died of crib death (SIDS)? I have to admit I have been thinking that the baby is no longer alive. I started thinking that when I saw Peggy's sister pregnant. The number of children we have seen and their ages, just doesn't add up.

But in the first or second episode this season, why would Anita ask Peggy if she were "going in," meaning the kids' room, if one of the kids weren't hers? They were all supposed to be asleep - why would Anita want Aunt Peggy to wake them all up and disturb the household?

Peggy's baby is there and Anita is trying to get Peggy to warm up to it and bond. Same reason she made Peggy hold the baby in church.