Lady Habren is giddy as a schoolgirl when she arrives for the first time at Falt. She moves slowly and cautiously making the place hers, but inside of a month you overhear some servants talking about how Lady Habren is the best mistress in all the land. She spends much time on the affairs of the house, and it is evident that the household staff love her.
By spring, the rest of the peasants of the manor express much the same sentiment. The men and women of the village stop and smile and offer her their good wishes whenever she passes by. You find yourself a little concerned with their familiarity, but they seem to honour her, not raise themselves to her equal.
She is very gentle with the servants, and you find yourself a little worried that they will take advantage of her kind heart. But then in early spring, she comes to you with proof that one of the servants has been cheating from you. As steward of your lands, she asks permission to oversee a public flogging. She sees this as important for establishing her role as mistress of Falt. At her insistence, you acquiesce despite your misgivings. Afterwards, she personally helped nurse the wayward servant back to health. The whole incident seems to have cemented her place in the manor, and the peasants appear to adore her even more.
She is a dutiful wife, and while the house does not run like clockwork, it is a happy home. She also appears to have a head for business affairs. When you question her, she said she was tutored with the Earl's daughter. While she did not enjoy the lessons, she did acquire the knowledge, and from what she has displayed so far, you feel your lands are being managed by competent hands.
Personally, Habren is affectionate and dutiful. She does have a way about her though - you have learned that when she wishes to ask you for something you may not agree to, she softens your resolve first with special attentions. It is a harmless manipulation, and transparent when it happens, but you find yourself persuaded. She is just so happy when you let her have her way, it is a joy in itself and the demands she has made so far are not unreasonable.
The biggest thing she has asked for is an allowance, that she might keep a handmaiden. This would cost about ?1 per year. Such a young noble lady companion would serve her much as Suger does as your squire.
She can make do with a common servant, of course, but a noble lady is expected to have a noble lady-in-waiting, and Habren has a close cousin she wishes to bring to the manor.
[OOC: Up to you if she is allowed. If it is approved, your annual expenses would increase by ?1.]
