M. de Boville had encountered the funeral procession carrying Valentine to her final resting place. The sky was heavy with storm clouds, and a bitter wind tore the last yellow leaves from the trees, scattering them among the crowds lining the streets.
M. de Villefort, a true Parisian through and through, believed only one cemetery was worthy of his family, Père-Lachaise. It was the most prestigious burial ground in Paris, where the city's elite laid their dead to rest. He'd purchased a family vault there years ago, and it had already claimed several members of his household. The monument bore an inscription, "The families of Saint-Méran and Villefort", the last wish of poor Renée, Valentine's mother.
