Page 7 of Lord of Fortune
“Don’t fret. It was a fake anyway.”
“Awhat?” She stared at him with incredulity, her jaw hanging open.
“A fake.”
“How can you know that?”
“The hilt and, more importantly, the markings on it were too new.”
She surveyed him with great skepticism. “I ask again, how can you know that?”
“Mrs. Forrest, I am an antiquary with a great deal of knowledge and experience. I am trained to recognize artifacts and determine their authenticity. That artifact was absolutely a fabrication. But then I am not surprised, since its counterpart, currently residing in the Ashmolean, is also a sham.”
He didn’t think it was possible for her to look more shocked, but her jaw dropped farther and her eyes practically fell from their sockets.
“Are you talking about the Heart of Llanllwch?” Her pronunciation of the Welsh was impeccable, and he couldn’t suppress a flash of admiration.
He nodded. “I am. It’s a fake.”
She drew herself up to her not unimpressive height. “It most certainly isnot.”
“And how canyouknowthat?”
“Because my grandfather found it, you cretin.”
