In the middle of the night, while the others were resting, Eric pulled Robert aside.
"The Earl of Essex... have you tried to win him over?"
"He would never support me. He's cowardly and skittish, more concerned with maintaining his current status than anything else—and certainly not by taking any risks. He's perfectly content with his situation, more than happy to be a lapdog."
"His cowardice is reserved for his superiors, his sensitivity for his inferiors."
"Exactly. So there's no point in trying to win him over."
"Then let's pay him a visit tomorrow."
"I already told you, there's no point. Besides, news from London might have already reached him..." Robert, thinking Eric hadn't understood, repeated himself.
London wasn't far from Essex.
