Héloïse de Villefort

The Countess is the second wife of Prosecutor de Villefort and the mother of Edward. She becomes infatuated with the Count, and tries to murder her stepdaughter Valentine in an attempt to move Noirtier's inheritance to her son. After her husband discovers the poison ring given to her by the Count, he disowns her, causing her to sink into madness. It is through her evidence that the Prosecutor is ultimately arrested.