The Table of Less Valued Knights (33 page)

‘I would be honoured,’ said Leila.

‘What about me?’ said Elaine. ‘I can’t possibly be a knight. I haven’t a clue about how to fight, and I’ve got a baby to bring up on my own.’

‘You’re not on your own,’ said Humphrey. ‘Not if you don’t want to be.’ He reached out and took her hand.

Martha felt a surge of warmth as she watched them. Maybe a hint of the old jealousy too, but nothing that mattered. ‘There’s more than one way to fight,’ she said to Elaine. ‘You’ve got a great head for strategy. I could use an adviser like you. Are you in?’

‘I’m in. For now, anyway. I have some plans of my own. I want to go to Africa. I want to see where elephants come from.’

‘And people,’ Karim reminded her.

‘And people,’ Elaine agreed. ‘I want to show my child the world. I might even take a knight with me.’ She squeezed Humphrey’s hand. ‘But Puddock first. For as long as you need me.’

‘So it’s settled,’ said Martha. ‘Thank you all. I could not wish for better companions. Now, much as I would like to celebrate, first we’d better figure out what to do about this army, before they cross the border looking for the …’ She glanced over to where Edwin had been, where now lay a beautiful golden sword with a pearl-studded hilt. ‘Ex-Prince Consort. Right. Who’s got any ideas?’

And thus began the adventures of Queen Martha and the Table of Equally Valued Knights
.

MARIE PHILLIPS was born in London in 1976. Her first novel,
Gods Behaving Badly
, was published in 2007. Widely acclaimed, it was translated into over fifteen languages. She is also the writer, with fellow novelist Robert Hudson, of the BBC Radio 4 series
Warhorses of Letters
.