Madame de Villefort (second wife)

The second Madame de Monsieur de Villefort is a young woman whose marriage to the prominent magistrate has made her mistress of one of Paris's most carefully regulated salons. She moves through fashionable society with the grace and restraint expected of her position, participating in the careful observance of traditional customs and social proprieties that characterize her husband's household. As the stepmother to a young daughter from Monsieur de Villefort's first marriage, she occupies a position of considerable responsibility, and she appears to discharge her duties with the same meticulous attention to form that distinguishes her husband's public life. Her presence at social gatherings is marked by appropriate courtesy and attention to the unwritten rules of her world. She appears to be a woman of breeding and accomplishment, trained to navigate the complex hierarchies of Parisian aristocratic society with grace and discretion.