13 Wait and hope

Chapter 13 Wait and hope Fernand Mondego jumped breathlessly over the fence and into the back garden of his house. He hid in the shadows, making sure he hadn't been seen. His darkest secrets were now public, and he was hunted by the army. If he was caught, he would surely hang. He crept into his house and hurriedly filled a case with clothes. He planned to flee to Marseilles and then hide on a boat to Africa.

Just then, he heard footsteps. Fernand watched through a crack in the door as Mercedes and Albert came down the stairs. They too carried bags. And they were with the Count of Monte Cristo. "Come Mother," Albert said, "this is no longer our home." The words stabbed like a knife in Fernand's heart. He had lost everything! But then he heard something even worse. As Mercedes left, she turned to the Count and said, "Thank you Edmond." Fernand sunk to the floor. The Count of Monte Cristo was Edmond Dantes! There was a loud knock on the back door. Soldiers gathered in the garden. They had seen Fernand inside, but Fernand was too stunned to move. Even as they smashed down the door, he just curled on the floor, muttering the name of the man who had ruined him... "Edmond... Edmond Dantes..."

The Count walked Mercedes and Albert to their carriage. He heard the commotion inside the house, but he didn't care. His obsession with revenge had already gone too far, almost killing poor Albert. It was over. He never wanted to hear the name Fernand Mondego again. Neither did Mercedes or Albert. They were moving to Italy, far from the scandal that had shamed their family.

"You could come with us," Mercedes said, as the Count helped her into the carriage. But the Count just smiled. He took her hand and kissed it gently. "I cannot," he said. "I have lived all this time for revenge. Now, I must live for something new. I will find a new life." As the carriage rattled away, Mercedes leaned from the window. "Edmond, how do you know that you will find this new life?" The Count closed his eyes, feeling the warm winter sun soothe his pale skin. "I will wait," he said. "Wait and hope."