House Hargraves was a House Major on Jackson's Whole specializing in hostage negotiation. They were co-owners of the Hargraves-Dyne Consortium station, where Barrayar had a consulate. "House Hargraves, the galactic fence, prim-faced middlemen for ransom deals—you had to give them credit, hostages exchanged through their good offices came back alive, mostly." ―Miles meditates on Jacksonian Houses Their negotiators unwittingly helped the Dendarii Mercenaries locate the Barrayaran courier, Lieutenant Vorbohn.