"Of course it was," she said. "We were trying to get everything established very quickly in case Titania managed to come along and o'erturn me after all. I honestly don't remember much about it," she admitted. "Meg lived here at first, but by the end of the first year she was in her cottage and hasn't expressed much interest in staying elsewhere."

"No, she didn't want to come along, either, when I asked her," Marcello said. She rubbed at her arms-- in spite of the fire, there was a damp chill outside the immediate area. "SO how does that work? If a lady dies with no heirs, you get the place back and get to pick a new lord-or-lady?"

"There's a bit more to it than that, but in Ebhot's case I think it was fairly straightforward. If someone dies in my owing I can take back what's mine out of their estate. But in this case I think Lady Ebhot died owing just about everyone, poor thing, and all her vassals would have would have had a hard time of it. It was better for everyone to will me the lot. Vassals and all."

Marcello's eyebrows raised. "You get willed vassals?" she asked. "As in, people?"

"It's more like they came with the property." She gave a wary look at Marcello's raised eyebrows. "Don't start," she warned. "The alternative would have been turning people off land they've worked for years and telling them to find somewhere else to stay."