Past Secrets Revealed

Chapter 74: The Promise
Maximilian and Valentine talk about their future.  He says he has enough money to marry her.  She says she can’t oppose her family.  Maximilian tells Valentine he will wait until he hears the official decree of her marriage then take his own life.  She says she will leave home and meet him.  When Valentine doesn’t appear, Maximilian goes to Villefort’s house.  While hiding outside the house, he overhears Villefort and the doctor talking about Madame de Saint-Meran’s death.  The doctor believes she was poisoned.  Maximilian enters the house and finds Valentine praying over her grandmother’s body.  Valentine hides Maximilian in her grandfather’s room.  She tells Noirtier she loves Maximilian and leaves the two men.  Maximilian tells Noirtier his history, how he met Valentine and his intentions.  Noirtier indicates that he will help the couple.  Maximilian kisses Noirtier and leaves.
 
Chapter 75: The Villefort Family Vault
Madame de Saint-Meran is placed in the Villefort family vault next to her daughter, Renee.  Maximilian observes the funeral and restrains himself from saying anything to Franz.  Back in Paris, Villefort tells Franz that the wedding will take place immediately per Madame de Saint-Meran’s wishes.  Franz goes to get witnesses.  Valentine is upset by the news.  Franz returns and the notary informs him that Valentine will not inherit Noirtier’s fortune.  Barrios, Noirtier’s servant, appears and says Noirtier wishes to speak with Franz.  Franz, Valentine and Villefort go to Noirtier.
 
Chapter 76: A Signed Statement
In Noirtier’s room, Noirtier asks Valentine to open a drawer with a secret compartment.  She finds a bundle of papers and gives them to Franz to read out loud.  The papers relate the incident on February 5, 1815 during the Bonapartist Club meeting.  Franz’s father, Quesnel, served the emperor from 1804-1814.  Quesnel, blindfolded and taken to the meeting, hears plans about the return of Bonaparte.  Quesnel proclaims he is a royalist.  The club president says because Quesnel knows too much, he must die.  Quesnel begs to live for the sake of his son.  Quesnel swears an oath not to reveal what he saw or heard at the meeting.  Quesnel is allowed to leave with three men, including the president of the club.  Quesnel insults the men in the carriage prompting a duel.  Quesnel is killed in the duel, his body thrown into the river.  Franz asks for the name of the man who made him an orphan at age two.  Noirtier motions Franz to the dictionary and tells him to stop at the word MYSELF.
 
Chapter 77: Progress of M. Cavalcanti the Younger
Within two weeks, Andrea has obtained a title, money and a backstory.  While the Count visits Madame Danglars, he notices Eugenie and Andrea playing piano together.  Madame Danglars tells the Count that Franz has declined to marry Valentine.  Danglars enters and is pleased Eugenie and Andrea are getting along.  Albert visits, he is pleased too see Eugenie and Andrea together.  Danglars tells the Count that Andrea would be a better match for his daughter as he is rich, educated and musical.  Danglars asks the Count to talk to Fernand about breaking off the match.  The Count and Albert leave.
 
Chapter 78: Haydee
While the Count and Albert have tea, Albert asks to be presented to Haydee.  The Count agrees only if Albert agrees not to discuss the meeting with anyone and not to tell her his father served her father.  Haydee enters and Albert is struck by her beauty.  The Count tells Haydee to talk about her father’s fate.  Haydee was four years old when her mother and father fled from the palace of Yanina.  Her father, Ali Tebelen, lead them across the lake to a place with underground caverns.  Haydee and her mother stayed underground while her father waited for news.  A French officer arrived by boat and appeared to bring good news.  As the caverns filled with enemies, Haydee and her mother saw the guards stabbed and her father shot.  Haydee and her mother were captured and sold.  Haydee was eventually bought by the Count of Monte Cristo.
 
Chapter 79: Yanina
Now that the marriage between Valentine and Franz is off, Noirtier reinstates Valentine in his will.  Fernand goes to Danglars asking for permission for Albert to marry Eugenie.  Danglars says he has suspended his decision, Fernand leaves in anger.  The next day, an article in the newspaper names Fernand in the incident at Yanina.  Albert wants to fight for his father’s honor.  He asks the Count for help.  The Count says no one will know it’s his father, no one calls him by Fernand.  Albert wants a retraction from the newspaper editor, Beauchamp.  Beauchamp is surprised by both the article and Albert’s reaction.  Beauchamp asks for three weeks to research the story.
 
Chapter 80: The Lemonade
Maximilian and Valentine talk in Noirtier’s room about future plans.  Barrios becomes sick and collapses after drinking Noirtier’s lemonade.  Maximilian hides in a corner as Villefort and Madame Villefort enter.  Maximilian leaves when Villefort goes for the doctor.  The doctor sends Villefort out for a prescription then questions Barrios.  The doctor takes Barrios in another room where he dies.  The doctor meets Villefort in the hallway and says he tested the lemonade and found that it was poisoned. 
 
Chapter 81: The Accusation
Villefort and Doctor d’Avrigny talk about the three recent deaths at Villefort’s house.  The doctor thinks the lemonade was meant to kill Noirtier.  He believes Valentine poisoned the Saint-Merans and Noirtier and insists Villefort do his duty as magistrate and arrest her.  Villefort says he cannot condemn his child.  The doctor says he will not help the next time someone is poisoned in the Villefort house.  After hearing the news of another death, the servants express their wish to leave the house, Valentine is in tears and Villefort looks at his wife and wonders at her gloomy smile.
 
Chapter 82: The Room of the Retired Baker
Andrea and Danglars talk of possible marriage arrangement now that Fernand’s name has been disgraced.  Andrea travels in disguise to Caderousse’s house.  He has heard of the possible marriage between Andrea and Eugenie and says he’s an old friend of Danglars.  Andrea tells Caderousse that he believes the Count is his real father.  He believes he will be left money is his will.  Caderousse asks about the location and layout of the Count’s house.  Andrea says the Count will be at Auteuil the following night.
 
Chapter 83: The Burglary
 At Auteuil, the Count receives a letter saying his house will be robbed.  The Count and Ali go to Paris.  A stranger enters the Count’s house by cutting the window pane, another man is posted outside.  When the Count recognizes the burglar as Caderousse, he puts on his Abbe Busconi costume.  Caderousse is astonished to see the Abbe enter.  The Abbe asks him about Benedetto and how they escaped prison.  Caderousse says Benedetto believes the Count to be his father.  Caderousse tries to stab the Abbe but fails.  The Abbe makes Caderousse write a letter to Danglars stating that Andrea is Benedetto, an escaped felon who doesn’t know his parents.  The Abbe lets Caderousse go.  The man outside waits for Caderousse to climb over the wall then beats him repeatedly.  Caderousse calls for help, the Abbe and Ali run to save him.
 
Chapter 84: The Hand of God
The Abbe sends for a surgeon and Villefort.  Caderousse tells the Abbe that Benedetto gave him the layout of the Count’s house and told him when he would be out of town.  It was Benedetto who sent the Count the note warning him of the burglary.  And now it was Benedetto who watched and waited outside to kill Caderousse.  The Abbe writes down the statement and Caderousse signs his name.  As Caderousse is dying, the Abbe talks about all the gifts he was given only to do bad things.  The Abbe takes off his costume revealing his true self.  He whispers his true name to Caderousse who then begs for God’s forgiveness before dying.  Villefort and the surgeon arrive to see the Abbe praying over a dead man.
 
Chapter 85: Beauchamp
The police search for Caderousse’s killer and Villefort prepares the case against him.  Wedding preparations begin for Eugenie and Andrea.  The Count tells Albert to forget about dueling Beauchamp as no one has learned the connection to his father.  Beauchamp calls on Albert to talk about his trip to Yanina.  Beauchamp confirms the newspaper article was true, Fernand was the traitor who surrendered the castle of Ali Tebelen.  Beauchamp presents Albert with the proof and says the secret will remain between them.  Albert burns the papers and thanks his friend.  Albert is devastated by his father’s past.
 
Chapter 86: The Journey
Beauchamp and Albert visit the Count.  The Count invites Albert to get away from Paris.  Albert goes to tell his mother about the trip, the Count tells Haydee their plans.  Albert and the Count spend a few pleasant days at a house on the sea.  Their vacation is interrupted by Beauchamp, who rides to him on Mercedes orders.  Another newspaper article was published naming the Count of Morcerf as the French officer who betrayed Ali Tebelen.
 
Chapter 87: The Trial
The Count Morcerf (Fernand) enters the House of Peers unaware of the newspaper article about him.  The article is read aloud and a vote to examine Morcerf passes.  Morcerf leaves, prepares his defense and returns later that day.  Morcerf presents papers and a ring proving Ali Tebelen’s confidence in him.  Morcerf says he was put in charge of Ali Tebelen’s wife and daughter, but they disappeared.  The president of the examination committee reads a letter aloud to the group.  A witness to the death of Ali Tebelen is waiting in the lobby.  The witness who enters is Haydee.  She tells her story, produces her birth register, baptism record and record of sale.  Morcerf flees from the courtroom.  He is convicted of felony, treason and outrage.
 
Chapter 88: The Challenge
Albert is enraged by his father’s conviction and wants to avenge the person who spoiled his name.  Beauchamp says Danglars was in Yanina asking questions about Fernand.  Albert goes to challenge Danglars.  Danglars confesses to asking about Fernand on the advice of the Count.  Albert goes to confront the Count.
 
Chapter 89: The Insult
Albert briefly talks to his mother who is in bed with grief.  She tells him to keep his friendship with the Count.  Later, Albert enters the opera with Beauchamp and Chateau-Renaud while Maximilian enters with the Count.  After the second act, Albert leaves his box and enters the Count’s box.  Albert demands an explanation concerning his actions toward his father.  The Count demands that Albert leave and calls him Morcerf.  Outraged, Albert issues a challenge to the Count and he accepts.  As Albert and his friends leave, the Count tells Maximilian that he will kill Albert.