The following morning, I was so gentle, so tender and affectionate that I restored Edgar to good spirits. I made such a fuss of him that in the afternoon he allowed me to go to Wuthering Heights to call on Heathcliff. To be respectable, Edgar insisted Isabella go along with me.

When we arrived at the Heights, I discovered that Hindley had invited Heathcliff to stay on as his guest. I knew full well that Heathcliff intended to take revenge on my brother, but Hindley was so depraved himself, he could not see the danger he was in.

We did not stay long inside the house. Instead Heathcliff and I walked the old, familiar path to the crags, with Isabella running on ahead, exclaiming about the wonderful view. While she was out of earshot I made one request of Heathcliff. I asked that he do my brother no bodily harm, nothing at any rate that he might be punished for. “You mustn’t hang for him,” I said. “I could not bear to see you dangling at the end of a rope.”

“I won’t.” Heathcliff grinned, a wild, wolfish smile. “It’s true enough, I planned to kill Hindley. These three years I’ve imagined it in every detail. I was going to take one last look at you. If I found you’d forgotten me, I’d have come here and done the deed. And after that I’d have done away with myself so the law couldn’t have me. Your welcome put an end to that plan and now I wish to live. But I warn you, Cathy, I will have justice.”

I said nothing more. Hindley had been the cause of Heathcliff’s degradation. Whatever was coming to him, I was sure that my brother deserved it.

Chapter 14

Heathcliff was slow to make a return visit to Thrushcross Grange. When he did, he trod very carefully. Heathcliff had always been good at hiding the depth of his feelings and in Edgar’s company he did so perfectly. He was well mannered. Courteous. Constrained. Heathcliff behaved to me like a loving brother. A gentleman. Before very long, Heathcliff was calling so frequently that Edgar stopped remarking on it. He was not exactly a welcome visitor, but he was tolerated.