Mrs. Dean relates to Mr. Lockwood the events which took place at Thrushcross Grange, only a year ago. She continues the story of Catherine Linton and her relationship with Linton Heathcliff.

Edgar Linton was eager to hear from his nephew Linton, so he could decide for himself what kind of man he was growing up to become. This was complicated, because Edgar and Heathcliff were still at odds, therefore Catherine and Linton could not visit each other. Edgar's health improved a little, but was not what it should have been and he feared he was dying. He wanted to be sure his daughter did not marry and then regret her decision. He asked for Mrs. Dean's appraisal of the young man, which she gave him. She felt he was frail, but he did take after his mother in looks and temperament. Finally, after pleadings from both Linton and Catherine, Edgar gave in and let them have chaperoned walks together. What Edgar did not know, was how Heathcliff was manipulating Linton. He told the young man what to write, he read Edgar's letters to Linton, and he did not let Linton talk of his ill health.

The long awaited reunion of Linton and Catherine did not go as Catherine had anticipated it would. Instead of meeting Catherine and Mrs. Dean on the Grange property, they were told by a messenger to meet Linton on Heathcliff's property. Linton looked very ill and was almost too weak to carry on a conversation. His main concern was to have Catherine and Mrs. Dean portray him in a positive light to both Edgar and Heathcliff. He seemed terrified of his father's disapproval of his behavior. Catherine told him she would not tell anyone she was disappointed by their meeting. She also promised to return the next Thursday to visit him. Mrs. Dean and Catherine could not agree if Linton was better or worse than the last time they had seen him.

The week passed with Catherine constantly at her father's side, because he was close to dying. She went reluctantly to visit Linton, who was a little more cheerful during their visit. His father made an appearance, which caused Linton to cower in fright. Heathcliff demanded that the boy stand up and walk into the house. He claimed he needed help from Catherine to make his way into the house.

This was a ruse to get Catherine and Mrs. Dean inside Wuthering Heights. As soon as they tried to leave, Heathcliff locked them into the house. Despite their pleas he would not let them go home. Instead, he told them his real plan was to have Catherine marry Linton the next morning, and then he would let the three of them go back to Thrushcross Grange. Catherine made a desperate attempt to pry the key from his hand, but she received a hit to her head for her efforts. Heathcliff came the next morning to retrieve Catherine from the room in which she and Mrs. Dean were locked in.

Mrs. Dean tried to follow Catherine, but Heathcliff would not let her leave the room. Only after a few hours went by was she given food; she was kept in this room for five nights and four days.

On the fifth day Zillah, the housekeeper, released Mrs. Dean from the room. Mr. Heathcliff had let a story circulate around the town of how he had rescued Mrs. Dean and Catherine, after they had become stuck in the marsh. Zillah also let Mrs. Dean know about Edgar's impending death. Mrs. Dean tried to free Catherine, but Linton was following his father's advice and would not let her go. Instead he had her locked into a bedroom, because she was now his wife and needed a firm hand. He wanted her to stop crying and he wanted her to stop rejecting him. He felt that all Catherine had, was now his, and all she wanted was his money. This was not true, Catherine did not even know Linton had any money.

Mrs. Dean returned to Thrushcross Grange, with plans to raise some men together in order to free Catherine. She told Edgar about Catherine's marriage and she told him she would make sure his daughter came to see him. Edgar told Mrs. Dean he had put his holdings in a trust, which Linton and Heathcliff could not touch. The trust was for the use of Catherine and her children only.

Catherine managed, with Linton's help, to escape and came home to be by her father's side as he died. Heathcliff had paid off the lawyer to disregard Edgar's wishes, but Mrs. Dean did make sure Edgar was buried beside Catherine and not in the family plot. Catherine stayed at Thrushcross Grange for her father's funeral.

The evening after Edgar's funeral, Heathcliff arrived at Thrushcross Grange to take Catherine back to Wuthering Heights with him. He said he had punished Linton, for helping her escape, by making him sit alone with him for two hours. Linton had nightmares and called for Catherine to comfort him, so she had to live up to her obligations and attend to her husband.

Mrs. Dean suggested that she should go with Catherine or Catherine and Linton should live at Thrushcross Grange, but Heathcliff refused to listen. He told Mrs. Dean he had the sexton open Catherine's coffin, so he could see her himself. It gave him the first sense of peace he had since she died. He had always felt she was with him, even though he could not see her. Now that he had seen Catherine, he felt comforted.

Heathcliff would not allow Mrs. Dean to visit Catherine. Her new position was to work for the tenants that would be living at Thrushcross Grange.

These chapters see the marriage of Catherine and Linton, the death of Edgar, and Heathcliff exacting his revenge by controlling Catherine.