The day after, the Count of Monte Cristo set out for his estate in Auteuil. He brought Ali and several other servants with him, along with some horses he wanted to test. This journey wasn't something he'd planned beforehand. It was actually triggered by Bertuccio's return from Normandy with news about the house and ship arrangements.
Everything was ready. The house stood prepared, and the ship had arrived a week earlier. It now sat anchored in a small cove with its crew of six men, all paperwork completed and ready to sail again at a moment's notice.
The count praised Bertuccio for his efficiency and told him to prepare for a quick departure. His stay in France wouldn't last more than a month.
"Now," he said, "I may need to travel from Paris to Tréport in a single night. Have eight fresh horses stationed along the route. That way I can cover fifty leagues in ten hours."
