CHAPTER FIVE

Trapped

Heathcliff smiled at Ellen. His eyes had a cold look in them. "You shall have tea with me, Ellen," he said. "I am alone for the moment. Miss Linton, sit next to him. Look how the girl stares at me!"

Suddenly his face changed. He turned away from them, and Ellen heard him say to himself, "By hell! How I hate these Linton people!"

"I'm not afraid of you, you know," said Cathy. She stepped closer to him, her eyes flashing with anger. "You give me that key and let us go home," she said. "I wouldn't eat or drink in this house if I were starving!"

Heathcliff had the key in his hand. Cathy tried to grab the key from him. "Get away!" Heathcliff cried, "or I'll knock you down! You will see that I know how to deal with people I don't like—especially children," he said. "Go and sit with Linton now, as I told you. I will be your father tomorrow. I'll be the only father you'll have in a few days, and then I'll deal with you, my girl, I promise you that! You'll see my whip if you talk to me like that again!"

Cathy ran to Ellen and the two tried to comfort each other.

Heathcliff made the tea himself. When it was ready he poured out the tea and handed Ellen a cup. "Drink it!" he said. "It's not poison. I'm going to get your horses."

When Heathcliff had gone outside Ellen's first thought was to find a way to escape, but all the doors were locked and the windows were too small to crawl through. They were trapped at Wuthering Heights until Heathcliff decided to let them go! Ellen turned to Linton. "Now listen here, young Linton. You know what your father wants with us," she said firmly. "Tell me what is happening right now, or you'll be sorry!"

"Yes, Linton, you must tell us," said Cathy. "I came here to see you, you know!"

"He wants us to be married," answered Linton softly. "He's planned everything. He's going to keep you here tonight—and if you do as he wants, you can go home the next day, and take me with you."

Cathy and Ellen did not know what to say. Soon Heathcliff came back.

"Your horses have left," he said. "Now, Linton—you can go to bed. I won't hurt you, you don't have to be afraid! You haven't done so badly after all!"

He held the door open for his son. Then he went to the fire, where Ellen and Cathy stood in silence. Cathy looked at him and did not look away. He said angrily, "So you're still not afraid of me?"

"Yes," she said quickly, "I am afraid—because if you keep me here my father will be miserable and worried about me. Mr Heathcliff, please let me go home! Don't do this to my father! I promise that I'll marry Linton!"

"I'll see that you do," he said. "You won't leave this house until you do! As for your father, I shall enjoy myself thinking of his misery!"

"Why? What has he done to you? Please, think of me! Let me go!" cried Cathy desperately. She grabbed his hand, but Heathcliff took it away.

"Don't touch me, girl, or you'll be sorry," he said. "I'd rather be touched by a snake! I hate you and your family! Now be quiet. I don't want to hear anything more from you!"

After it was dark, they heard voices at the gate. Heathcliff ran out to see whom it was. He talked with someone for two or three minutes, and then he came back. "Those people were servants from Thrushcross Grange. They were looking for you!" He smiled. "Now, go upstairs to my housekeeper's room. She won't be here tonight."

Ellen whispered to Cathy to do what he told them.

Neither of them slept that night. They both sat on chairs and waited anxiously for the morning. At seven o'clock Heathcliff came to the door and called for Cathy.

"Yes?" she answered, and ran to the door.

"Come on," he said, opening it and pulling her out.

Ellen rose to follow, but he closed the door and locked it before she could leave. She banged on the door and called out, but no one came to help her.

She stayed there for many hours until Zillah, the housekeeper whom Lockwood had met, came and opened the door. Ellen ran down the stairs. The house seemed very quiet. Linton was lying on the couch in the sitting room, but Ellen did not see Cathy anywhere.

"Linton, where's Miss Cathy?" Ellen demanded.

Linton smiled, but the smile was not a nice one. "She's my wife now," he said. "She's upstairs locked in—and my father says she can't go home yet."

"You could get hold of the key if you wanted to," Ellen said.

"Yes, but I'm not going to," he answered. "I don't want to."

Ellen wanted to slap him, but she knew this would do no good. She decided to go to the Grange and send someone to rescue Cathy. When she arrived at the house she ran straight up to Edgar's room. How different he looked! He looked like a ghost.

He was lying in bed and whispered Cathy's name. Ellen touched his hand.

"Cathy's coming, Mr Edgar," she whispered. "She's alive and well—and will be here soon."

She told him a little about what had happened. Then she went downstairs and told four of the men to go to Wuthering Heights and bring Cathy back with them.

She was extremely worried and angry when the men returned without Cathy. They told her that Cathy was sick, and Heathcliff would not let them see her.

That night Ellen watched Edgar. About three o'clock in the morning, there was a loud knock at the front door. When she opened it, Cathy was there in the clear moonlight. "Thank God you're here, Miss Cathy!" Ellen cried.

"Is my father still alive? Linton helped me to escape," Cathy said as they ran to Edgar's room.

Ellen waited for an hour before going into the room where Cathy and her father were. Cathy sat holding her father's hands, her eyes fixed on his face. He looked happy and at peace, and Ellen knew that he was dead.

(end of section)