"Remember," Monte Cristo said firmly, "no direct questions. If you want to know something, ask me, and I'll ask her."
"Understood."
Ali returned and pulled back the tapestry covering the doorway, signaling they could enter.
"Let's go," Monte Cristo said.
Albert quickly fixed his hair and smoothed his mustache before following the Count into the inner chambers. Guards stood at attention as they passed through.
Haydée waited in her reception room, seated on a plush sofa with her legs folded beneath her in the traditional Eastern style. Rich fabrics surrounded her like a nest. Her instrument lay nearby, elegant and clearly expensive. When she saw Monte Cristo, she rose with a smile that radiated both devotion and love, raising his hand to her lips in greeting.
Albert froze in the doorway, completely stunned. He'd never seen such beauty, the kind that seemed impossible to someone from a northern country.
