The Count of Monte Cristo (Il Conte di Montecristo)

Yes?

The Count of Monte Cristo would like an audience with you, sir.

You must be devastated. Your daughter is facing a murder charge.

Yes, yes.

Sit next to me, sir.

How is the family coping with this dreadful upheaval?

Not well, as you can imagine.

It's incomprehensible.

After reading the newspapers, I couldn't sleep.

Something about it all has been bothering me no end.

Brucine leaves no trace in the body,

but is easily detected outside of the body.

Say, in a teapot, for instance.

- That is where it was detected. - Yes, I read that.

And that's what's been keeping me awake at night.

See, I've met Valentine and...

She didn't strike me as stupid.

Certainly not stupid enough to poison her grandmother

and not dispose of the evidence afterwards.

I mean, how easy is it to wash a teapot and clean a cup?

Someone in my house poisoned the Marchioness.

And all evidence points to one person.

That's why I'm here, Mr. Villefort.

I need to share something with you that is rather delicate.

When you last stopped at my house in the country,

your wife left the table in between courses, do you recall?

Vaguely.

Excuse me. I'm just going to freshen up.

Mlle. Haydee, my protege,

saw her go down the stairs and into my laboratory.

After you'd all left, I discovered one of my vials of poison was missing.

The one containing brucine.

Mr. Danglars.

Thank you.

- So good of you to see me, Count. - Sit.

Today's the day.

What day?

The day the option on the land expires.

That, yes.

I'm sorry to ask this of you, Count, but can you not at the very least

issue me with a post-dated cheque for your five million?

But I told you, Baron, once the Count of Spada presents you

with his share of the investment, mine will follow.

I'm not quite sure you appreciate my position.

The cost of the land is nine million. That's nearly double my share.

And now, without Fernand as my ally in government,

there are rumours that the concession will be withdrawn

if the sale of land doesn't go through.

Rumours are always just rumours, aren't they?

I simply... I cannot risk such a vast amount on one venture.

We're talking swathes of land all the way from here to Calais.

The English engineers, the same who built the Manchester-Liverpool Railroad,

need a deposit of 300,000 francs by Friday or they will abandon the project.

- If I don't have the... - Baron, calm yourself.

How can I be calm when there is so much at stake?

- Some water, perhaps? - Thank you.

The engagement ceremony is on Thursday, is it not?

Yes.

Count Spada will sign, he loves Eugenia.

And the moment he signs, he will place a cheque

in your hand for five million, and then mine will follow.

But what if he has a change of heart?

He's promised me he'll go through with it.

And if you make a promise to me, you keep it.

- I do not take such things lightly. - No, no, I'm sure not.

Good. Very good. Excellent. Well, thank you.

My God, I can breathe again.

- Very well, good day to you, Count. - Good day.

You will be there on Thursday, will you not?

I wouldn't miss it for anything.

The Count of Spada is here to see you, Mlle...

Yes, yes, yes. Thank you.

I have a lovely little surprise for you two.

Letters of introduction to the directors of the four top opera houses in Rome,

written and signed by the Count of Monte Cristo,

recommending you, Eugenia, as a future star of the opera.

How exciting.

My father would never allow me to take the stage.

Yeah, but if you're in Rome and he is here, how can he object?

I'm curious, sir. You are from Rome and an opera connoisseur.

Why have you not written these letters yourself?

May I sit?

I have a little confession to make. I'm...

I am not an opera connoisseur. In fact, I don't like opera at all.

The Count of Monte Cristo, on the other hand, is very knowledgeable about opera

and his opinions in it are highly regarded.

This is most peculiar.

For God's sake, don't breathe a word of any of this to your father.

He's under so many illusions as it is. It's best to leave him in the dark.

Now I shall leave you. Have a lovely day, ladies.

And I shall see you at the signing

of the so-called marriage contract on Thursday.

If you have not already left for Rome, that is.

Adieu, you gorgeous women.

What will I do without Euridice?

I'm starting to warm to that mad fool.

Let me see those.

Eugenia...

...with these your future is made.

Our future, darling! Ours!

What do you think he meant by "if you have not already left for Rome"?

Edward, stop toying with your food, please.

That's because he ate so much cake at tea time.

Can I go play, Mama?

Of course you can, Edward.

Gerard, why has Valentine's trial not yet begun?

I have asked the deputy prosecutor to delay it.

Why?

You know that if she's found guilty, she will...

... forfeit her grandmother's inheritance, right?

Of course, it will go to you.

And for me, it will go to Edward.

I don't understand what that has to do with Valentine's trial.

We believe the lawyer is going to use that in their defense

to plant a seed of doubt.

But the case is open and shut, is it not?

Appears so, yes.

- What has changed since she was arrested? - New information has come to light.

- What information? - I'm not at liberty to say.

But I am your wife.

I know that.

Why did the police never search Valentine's room?

It's strange that they didn't, don't you think?

Perhaps they thought it was an open and shut case,

as you do.

- Where's Madame? - She's taking Edward to his Bible lesson.

Of course.

Mercedes?

Please, sit.

I don't know what to say about Fernand.

You achieved what you set out to achieve, didn't you?

Believe me, I did not want it to end that way.

You would have preferred to extend his suffering?

Edmond, really, you're playing with people's lives.

Well, they played with mine.

You must hate me.

I wouldn't know how to.

Do you have access to Fernand's finances?

Yes.

Well, no doubt he banked with Baron Danglars.

You must withdraw every franc from Fernand's accounts today.

Ask for half in cash, half in gold.

Why?

Because by day's end, Danglars will be ruined.

So he's next?

You are consumed by this.

Will you be going back to Marseille?

It is my home. Is it not yours?

I have no home.

Forgive me, but I must leave you.

I will call upon you soon, Mercedes.

Edmond, may I ask a personal question?

How did you become so wealthy if you stayed all that time in prison?

I believe it was Providence.

What is your understanding of Providence?

In the overall sense, that destiny will ensure justice.

So you are the instrument of destiny.

Leave us.

- How are you coping? - As you can imagine.

- Are they feeding you well? - Well enough.

Sit.

Why are you here?

You didn't do it.

Did you?

I told you.

I'm in a terrible position here.

Mr. Beauchamp, I have here some rather interesting reading

your publication may be intrigued by.

This is a record of activities on the Paris Stock Exchange dating back three years.

Correspondingly,

I have here Baron Danglars' personal bank statements.

If you compare the dates on these two sets of documents,

you'll notice Baron Danglars made substantial withdrawals on his personal account.

On the same day, his wife traded heavily in shares concerning a certain commodity.

Shares which more than doubled in value two or three days later

when official news of those commodities became public knowledge.

You'll notice a pattern that keeps repeating itself

from the day Lucien Debray was appointed secretary to the Minister of the Interior.

- Are you following me? - I'm trying to.

I've underlined in red the relevant transactions for your convenience.

I trust you will not reveal the source of this information to anyone.

We never reveal our sources if asked not to.

Then I shall leave you to it.

I have duplicates of the documents which I will deliver to the police,

as any concerned citizen would.

Good day to you, Mr. Beauchamp.

- Mama, what are you doing up here? - Darling, nothing.

- How are preparation going downstairs? - Champagne and caviar just arrived.

Excellent. It's all so exciting, isn't it?

Yeah.

Let's go downstairs.

My brother's passport.

A sister travelling with her brother will not arouse suspicion.

- And the carriage? - Parked on the back side of the house.

Awaiting us.

You have the check written out and signed?

In my pocket.

And I have mine in mine.

Excellent.

I love it.