"Fifty notches, Mrs. Cutting," a voice called.
Emily blinked and turned. It was old Monk McGinn speaking again. He was leaned against a nearby wall, squinting at her through the sunlight.
She remembered his rough hands pilfering through her father's pockets and her face hardened as she asked, "Excuse me?"
He approached her. "That was the price. Your father said I could only marry you once I had fifty notches."
Emily folded her arms and glared at him. "I was a child. I never had a part in any such thing."
"I think you might've agreed, though," Monk said, "under different circumstances."
"Well," Emily said shortly, "circumstances as they are, McGinn, I could have your bog-eating tongue hanging from my door in a matter of minutes if I wanted. So you'd better have something else to say and say it quickly."
A look of surprise came over Monk's face and he laughed. "You put on a good show, Mrs. Cutting. If it wasn't for that mouth of yours, I would never guess you were the daughter of Priest Vallon. Bill really has you trained, doesn't he? But he hasn't taken all of you away. No, not yet."
Emily rolled her eyes and waited for him to continue.
"Wise man, your father was, in some ways," McGinn said, taking something out of his pocket, "I took this from his pocket for safekeeping. He said to give it to you when you lost your way."
Monk placed whatever it was into her hand, saying, "The country is changing, Mrs. Cutting. Where will you stand?"
As Monk walked away, Emily looked at the treasure he'd left behind. As soon as she saw the deep red leather sheath, she knew what it was.
She dared not take her father's most prized dagger out of its cover here in town. But she remembered it from the few times she'd seen it growing up. It was a glistening silver dagger with a dark handle. There were words etched into the blade: Confutatis maledictis Voca me cum benedictis.
"While the wicked are confounded, call me with thy saints surrounded," her father's voice echoed in her ears.
"McGinn!" she called after the burly street fighter.
He turned. Emily shrugged at him and said, "Sixty notches."
Monk chuckled and nodded before turning and leaving.
She hid the dagger away quickly and hurried home.