Wuthering Heights - Chapter 11
The_Forced_Marriage
One day, Heathcliff lured Cathy to Wuthering Heights. He locked her in a room and refused to let her leave until she married Linton.
'Your father is dying,' Heathcliff told her cruelly. 'If you do not marry my son, you will never see him again.'
Cathy was terrified. She did not love Linton and did not want to marry him, but she could not bear the thought of never seeing her father again. She agreed to the marriage.
The ceremony took place quickly, with no family or friends present. Cathy felt trapped and hopeless. She was now married to a man she did not love, in a house where she was a prisoner.
When the marriage was complete, Heathcliff allowed Cathy to visit her father one last time. She rushed to Thrushcross Grange, arriving just in time to say goodbye to Edgar.
Edgar was heartbroken to learn of the marriage, but he was too weak to protest. He died a few hours later, holding Cathy's hand.
With Edgar's death, Heathcliff became the owner of Thrushcross Grange. Cathy, as Linton's wife, had no legal right to the house. Heathcliff had won at last. He had taken revenge on Edgar and Hindley, and he now owned everything that had once belonged to their families.
Cathy was left alone in the world. Her husband was weak and selfish, and her father was dead. She had no home of her own and no money. She was forced to live at Wuthering Heights with Heathcliff, Linton, and Hareton.
Mrs. Dean, the housekeeper, followed Cathy to Wuthering Heights, not wanting to leave the young girl alone. She tried to protect Cathy from Heathcliff's cruelty and to comfort her in her grief.
At Wuthering Heights, Hareton saw how sad Cathy was and tried to be kind to her. He brought her food and firewood, and he tried to talk to her. At first, Cathy was too proud to speak to him, but gradually, she began to see that he was different from his father. He had a good heart, despite his rough manners.