Perhaps Linus was trying to protect Peter from something. He mentioned that it was a family gathering, no? Wasn't his family known for war weapons? Also, it's not uncommon for heirs to have political connections via engagement. Furthermore, I feel like Linus labeled Peter as a "college graduate" because he was trying to take the spotlight off him. Linus is well-known, so any lover that he has would automatically be targeted. Peter was a regular citizen back then, not a CIA agent, so he wouldn't know how to protect himself well.
But this is just my deduction based on how the story's progressed so far. I wanna give Linus a big slap on the face for hurting Peter too.
ASHLEY- look at me
Same thought when I read the name