"Sir," the Count said to Albert, "I won't ask you to come see my residence today, as I can only show you a house furnished in haste. As you know, I have a reputation for not being caught unprepared. Give me one more day before I invite you. Then I'll be certain not to fail in my hospitality."
"If you ask for a day, Count, I know what to expect. It won't be a house I'll see, but a palace. You clearly have some supernatural genius at your command."
"Indeed, spread that idea," Monte Cristo replied, placing his foot on the velvet-lined steps of his splendid carriage. "That reputation will be worth something among the ladies."
As he spoke, he climbed into the vehicle. The door closed, but not so quickly that Monte Cristo failed to notice the almost imperceptible movement that stirred the curtains of the apartment where he'd left Madame de Morcerf.
