There was a sophisticated knock at the door of the Thrushcross Grange. I, Nelly Dean, hurried to open the door. The knock was very concerning. It was done with such hostility. There are many strangers that wander to Wuthering Heights. It could have been just about anyone.
To my dismay, it was Heathcliff. He arrived only a few days before Catherine was to be wed.
“You cannot be here, sir. My master is here. He would not be pleased if he were to learn that you are here,” she warned Heathcliff.
“I must see Cathy, immediately, it is quite urgent.”
“Mr. Heathcliff, sir there is nothing more I would rather want to help you with, but I fear you getting caught by my master. However, if you do be careful, then I will let you go see her.”
I silently closed the door and went to divert Catherine's future husband, Mr. Edgar Linton’s attention, while Heathcliff meticulously made his way to Catherine’s room. Heathcliff knocked on her door very politely.
“Come in,” Catherine said very cordially.
Heathcliff enters the room, in a refined manner. “Catherine you cannot marry Linton, he is not right for you. I am.”
Catherine looks at Heathcliff in an appalling manner and states: “Heathcliff I told you I cannot abandon my duties as a woman to be with you. I will soon be wed to Edgar and I will be well off.”
“You would be content with me. You enjoy most of your time with me more than him. You are always in a delight when we walk around the garden. Can you not apprehend that you and I are a part of a whole. We create a world.”
“Heathcliff put an end to this please. My soul is slowly wearing away as you speak these words. My heart yearns to be with you but if I do not follow through with this marriage I will be shunned from society.”
“Catherine, my dear… I will put an end to myself if you do not come with me. Linton is not right for you. You will be bored of him within a ‘morrow. I comprehend you much more than you do yourself, and you would be happier if you did not have to follow the mundane rules of this false creation of man. Come with me my love. Please, I beg of you. Your life would be worse and filled with a gaping hole of longing and desire for me. I do not have much time. Will you come with me?”
“Heathcliff I cannot. What do you not understand? Edgar is a very nice man. He has money, a home and wants a family. What will we do? Where will we go? Death is the only place left after we break the chains of civilization. Heathcliff tell me. What would we do if I leave with you? What will that accomplish?.”
“We will be free. We can be together. There is this force that beckons us towards each other, it is undeniable. We can do whatever you please.”
“I cannot become a mere beggarwoman. My father would not have wanted that for me. I love Edgar. He is kind, and wonderful to me. He does not make me feel like a madwoman, as if I have a choice to make. I valued our time together when we were children but it is important for me to make sure my life is well off.”
“Your words pierced my heart. Do you not love me? Do you not think I am well off? Do you not believe that we can be happy together? We both will be happy but if you go with him you will always be missing something. Do you understand?”
“I do love you very much. All the love I have for you will continue to be there after I die.”
“I am going to ask you once again, for the last time. Catherine, will you come with me?”
Catherine ponders on this question very carefully. She knows what she wants. She wants nothing more to be with him. Her heart yearns for him. The only issue being the nice gentleman that she is betrothed to. Her heart is palpitating rapidly wanting to say the words of affirmation.
Catherine sighs and responds with a subtle grin. “Yes Heathcliff I will go with you.”
Her rebellious nature from her childhood reawakens. She is ecstatic and fearful. Her heart raced faster than ever before.
Heathcliff finally was about to have the one person in the world that understood him and cared for him. The person he had known his entire life. The person he would laugh with and enjoy time with. All those times they spent exploring the moors would finally become something. He vowed to never let anything happen to her.
Nelly came back up the stairs to see what the ruckus was about. She loved those two together. She watched them grow up and become inseparable and fall deeply in love. She always had hope that those two would one day end up together.
“What in god's name is happening here?” Nelly asks with astonishment. She sees Catherine’s trunk opened with most of her belongings in it: her garments, her favourite books, some photos of her father, and a letter she received from Edgar.
“Nelly!” Catherine exclaims. “Oh please, don’t tell anyone that I am leaving. I want to be with Heathcliff. I do not want to be held captive in a godforsaken lifestyle. Heathcliff frees my soul.”
“Catherine, this is absolutely insane. You are to be married in a few days. What about Edgar?”
“I’m sure he would be blind with rage, but deep down I think he will understand. Nelly please do not tell a single soul where I went. My heart truly belongs to Heathcliff.”
“What about Edgar? He will have countless sleepless nights worrying and waiting for you to come back.”
“After I establish myself with Heathcliff, I will send him a very sincere apology letter. Until then do not tell a single soul.”
Nelly promised not to tell anyone about Catherine. She even helped Heathcliff and Catherine pack their bags. They all made their way outside from the backdoor to avoid being seen.
Heathcliff had already known that Catherine was going to agree to go with him so he had a carriage prepared for the both of them to make a clean departure. Nelly waved goodbye, slightly conflicted, for she did not know how she would be able to cover for Catherine.
. . .
A few hours later Edgar Linston goes looking for his soon to be bride. He checks her chambers and the garden she usually strolls in. The garden, usually a calming place, a place filled with beautiful roses and flowers, the hedges trimmed perfectly. The trees towering over everything like a sanctuary. In this moment Edgar did not feel any of this; he could not find his beloved. He goes to find Nelly who tends to know everything about Catherine’s whereabouts.
“Oi Nelly! Are you aware of Catherine’s whereabouts?” Edgar demands Nelly.
Nelly tentatively replies; “Nay I haven’t seen her since after supper.” Nelly was filled with fear and worry. She feared what Edgar would do if he found out that Catherine ran off with Heathcliff and worried for Edgar due to his fiancée’s absence.
Edgar frantically searched for Catherine. He even went to Wuthering Manor to ask her brother Hindley, if he knew where she was. Unfortunately he was too drunk to even know where he was.
. . .
Heathcliff and Catherine make their way to Edinburgh using the carriage Heathcliff got for Catherine. They did not speak much on the ride over to the town. The silence was deafening. It was as if they did speak the entire world would crumble at their feet. Their passion was too overwhelming.
. . .
A few years later, Catherine and Heathcliff established a home. Heathcliff became a wealthy businessman and Catherine immersed herself in literature and was about to bear her first child. Heathcliff had a complete change while he was with her. All of the hatred of people, dissipated with every hour he spent with his one true love. He explained to Catherine that he became bitter because the Linton’s took her away from him. And Catherine explained to him that it was always him that she loved. Of course, she had not forgotten to send the letter to Edgar Linton.
Dear Edgar Linton,
I am writing to you because I owe you an explanation. I left with Heathcliff only a few days before we were supposed to be wed, and that was quite cruel of me. I hope after a few years, the pain in your heart subsided and you found a new love again. I want to sincerely apologize for all the pain I caused you. I did truly love you. You were a kind soul and an honest gentleman. You nursed me back to health when your dogs had attacked me. You taught me the importance of civility. However I did not love you like I loved Heathcliff. Heathcliff is my half of my whole. He is me. I do not speak and he understands what I am thinking. My heart always longed for him. Always. There was never a time I did not want to be with him. He was different and a whirlwind of emotions. He was someone I grew up with. He is my everything. I am holding his child now. I enjoy every single day that I live with him and I hope you found someone you do feel this way for. If you had a love so powerful with the capability of tearing universes apart would you not pursue it as well?
Yours Truly,
Catherine Earnshaw
. . .
Edgar received this letter after being established with his new lover, whom he met at a local pub. He continued to reside in Thrushcross Grange with Nelly. Edgar was distraught over Catherine’s disappearance because everything was fine before. He felt guilty and he pondered on what he could have done differently, not realizing it was not of his doing. For months on end he would wallow in his dismay. It was a shock to everyone but especially to Edgar. He thought of Catherine as a sweet, innocent, young girl who was very capable. He loved her ever so dearly.
After reading the letter Edgar felt some sort of relief and as well as some anger. He wondered why she did not tell him sooner and why she agreed to marry him in the first place. He was content that it was the last nail in the coffin.
As for Nelly, she never broke her promise; she waited for Catherine to send that letter for years. Oh how she missed her so. She loved her like a sister. They would talk and gossip as if they were comrades for the longest time. She even misses Heathcliff, even though he did create turmoil. She does hope they visit one day.
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