"Well, well! If it isn’t young Dantès, back from his adventures!" Caderousse’s thick Marseilles accent made every word sound slimy. "Welcome home, neighbor!"
Edmond forced a smile, though he wanted to throttle the guy. "Caderousse. Thanks for... taking care of things while I was gone."
"Oh, don’t mention it! Though I suppose we’re even now, right? Your father paid what you owed, so we’re all square."
"Actually, I think I still owe you something," Edmond said, his voice dangerously quiet.
"Nonsense! Business is business. Besides, I was just down at the docks buying fabric when I ran into Danglars. He told me you were back. Said he thought you were still in Smyrna, but here you are!"
Edmond’s jaw tightened. He knew exactly where this conversation was heading, and he didn’t like it one bit.
"Good old Caderousse!" Edmond’s father said warmly. "He’s always been so loyal to our family."
"Of course I am! I love you both, honest people are so damn rare these days." Caderousse’s eyes kept drifting to the pile of coins on the table like a hawk eyeing prey. "But it looks like you’ve struck it rich, eh boy?"
Edmond caught that greedy look and didn’t like it one bit. He shrugged casually. "This isn’t even my money. I was just showing my father I had enough to take care of him." He scooped up the coins. "Here, Dad, put this back in your box. Unless our neighbor here needs something?"
"No, no, my boy!" Caderousse waved his hands, though his eyes lingered on the gold. "I’m doing just fine, thank you. Keep your money, you can never have too much. But I appreciate the offer, truly I do."
"Just being neighborly," Edmond replied, though his tone was cooler now.
"Of course, of course. So I hear you’re in good with Monsieur Morrel these days, you sly bastard!"
"He’s been decent to me," Edmond said carefully. Follow current novels on n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
"Decent enough that you turned down dinner with him, apparently."
Edmond’s father looked shocked. "You refused dinner? With Monsieur Morrel himself?"
"I wanted to see you first, Dad. That was more important."
"But son, that might have upset him! And if you’re hoping for that promotion..."
"I explained why I couldn’t make it," Edmond said. "He understood."
Caderousse shook his head knowingly. "Listen, kid, if you want to be captain, you’ve got to kiss some ass. That’s just how business works."
"I’d rather earn it on merit," Edmond shot back.
"Ha! Good for you! Your old friends will be thrilled to hear about your success. Especially that pretty little thing down by the Saint Nicolas fortress."
"Mercedes?" his father asked with a smile.
"Yes, and with your blessing, I’d like to go see her now that I know you’re okay."
"Of course, my boy! May God bless your marriage as he’s blessed me with such a good son."
"Whoa there, old man!" Caderousse laughed. "Marriage? They’re not even engaged yet!"
"We will be soon enough," Edmond said confidently.
"Right, right. And you were smart to come back when you did, boy."
"Well, Mercedes is a gorgeous girl, and gorgeous girls attract attention. She’s got guys swarming around her like flies on honey."
Something cold twisted in Edmond’s gut, though he tried to keep his voice light. "Really?"
"Oh hell yes! Some pretty tempting offers too. But hey, you’ll be a captain soon, who could compete with that?"
Edmond’s smile felt forced. "You’re saying if I wasn’t going to be captain..."
"Well..." Caderousse shrugged meaningfully.
"Come on," Edmond said, though his confidence was shaken. "I trust Mercedes completely. Captain or not, she’d never betray me."
"Sure, sure! Nothing like blind faith when you’re planning a wedding. Anyway, you should get going, let her know about all your good fortune!"
"You’re right. I should." Edmond hugged his father tight and gave Caderousse a curt nod before heading out.
After the door closed, Caderousse lingered for a moment, then made his excuses and left. He found Danglars waiting at the corner like they’d planned.
"Well?" Danglars asked immediately.
"Just left the little family reunion."
"Did he mention the captaincy?"
"Talked about it like it was already his. Cocky little shit."
"Interesting. So he’s feeling pretty confident?"
"Confident? The bastard was practically offering to lend me money, like he’s some kind of big shot already."
"And you turned him down?"
"Damn right I did. Though I could have taken it, I’m the one who helped him earn his first paycheck. But now he thinks he’s too good for the rest of us."
"He’s not captain yet," Danglars said quietly.
"And maybe it’s better if he never becomes one. Guy’s already unbearable as it is."
"That could be arranged," Danglars murmured. "Tell me, is he still obsessed with that Catalan girl?"
"Head over heels. But there might be trouble brewing there."
"Oh? What kind of trouble?"
Caderousse grinned slyly. "The kind a smart man could profit from. You really want to know?"
"It’s more important than you think. You don’t like our boy Edmond much, do you?"
"I fucking hate upstarts who forget where they came from."
"Then spill everything you know about Mercedes."
"I don’t know anything for certain, but... every time I see her in town, she’s got this tall, dark Catalan guy with her. Built like a brick shithouse, mean-looking bastard. She calls him ’cousin.’"
"Cousin, eh? And you think there’s something going on?"
"What do you think happens when you put a twenty-one-year-old stud with a seventeen-year-old beauty? Cousin or not."
"And Dantès went to see her?"
"Left right before you got here."
"Perfect. Let’s head to La Reserve for a drink while we wait to see how this plays out."
"You’re buying," Caderousse said.
They made their way to the tavern and ordered wine. The owner mentioned seeing Dantès pass by just minutes earlier, heading toward the Catalan quarter.
They settled in under the spring trees, birds chirping overhead, both men lost in their own scheming thoughts about how to bring down their former friend.