Catherine had been taken to live with her husband after her father died. Linton was not well, but Heathcliff refused to call a doctor or offer any help for his son.

One night, Catherine asked Zillah to inform Heathcliff that his son was near death. It was only after Catherine began ringing a bell, to arouse the household, did Zillah tell Heathcliff what was happening. Heathcliff went to Linton's room, only to find him dead.

Mrs. Dean, because she was not allowed to see Catherine, is relating the story as told to her by Zillah. Zillah and the rest of the household did not like Catherine because she was rude to them. Two weeks after Linton's death, Heathcliff told Catherine, Linton had left everything, even her lands, to him. Mrs. Dean has now completed her story about the household at Wuthering Heights.

It is January and Mr. Lockwood has planned to inform Heathcliff of his desire to go to London for six months. He wants to tell Heathcliff it would be fine with him if he found another tenant for Thrushcross Grange after October. While at Wuthering Heights, Mr. Lockwood tries to slip Catherine a note from Mrs. Dean. The woman does not understand what he is doing and asks out loud what he is giving her. After hearing her talk of a note, Hareton takes it, to give to Heathcliff to read first. Once she finds out the note is from Mrs. Dean, Catherine is upset and Hareton gives in by letting her read the note. Mr. Lockwood has to wait a while for Heathcliff to return before he can speak to him. While he is waiting, Catherine and Hareton have a disagreement concerning books. Heathcliff has gotten rid of all Catherine's books and Hareton has some, but will not share them with Catherine. Hareton relents and gives Catherine his books, because she is such a rude and insensitive woman she makes fun of the books and Hareton's efforts to read. He hits her in the mouth and burns the books in anger.

It is now September, 1802 and Mr. Lockwood is traveling not too far from Thrushcross Grange. He decides to stop for the night, because he is still the tenant until October. Once there he finds a new housekeeper and is told Mrs. Dean is now the housekeeper at Wuthering Heights.

He walks to Wuthering Heights to see Heathcliff. Upon arriving he observers through a window, Catherine and Hareton and it seems they are romantically involved. He does not want to disturb them, so he walks to the kitchen and surprises Mrs. Dean. She tells him that Heathcliff died three months earlier.

She also tells him the story of how Catherine and Hareton came to a truce. Catherine decided she did after all like Hareton and extended herself in friendship towards him. Hareton was not so willing to forgive or forget how she treated him in the past. In order to gain his friendship, Catherine offers to teach Hareton how to read, and slowly he becomes friendlier towards her.

One morning, Mrs. Dean saw Hareton removing Joseph's favorite black currant bushes, because Catherine had wanted to plant some flowers in their place. Mrs. Dean warned them this action would cause trouble with both Joseph and Heathcliff.

At the next meal Joseph told Heathcliff how upset he was about the removed bushes. Heathcliff thought at first Mrs. Dean had removed the bushes, but Hareton and Catherine confessed they had removed them. Heathcliff became angry with them, telling Catherine she had no right to do anything with the land at Wuthering Heights. Catherine reminded him of how he stole her and Hareton's lands. Heathcliff grabbed her, almost harming her and Hareton attempted to rescue Catherine from Heathcliff's grasp. After Heathcliff released Catherine, he confessed to Mrs. Dean he felt a change coming about in him. He no longer cared about revenge, as he did before, and he had lost interest in Wuthering Heights. He felt as though everything around him was a reminder of his Catherine and the loss of her, Catherine and Hareton especially reminded him of her.

After the argument with Catherine and Hareton, Heathcliff wanted to be alone. Until one day Catherine saw him at the gate and noticed he looked happy and excited-he had been out all night walking. Mrs. Dean thought the walk had done him some good and changed his mood. At meal time he sat down with the others to eat, but just as he was about to eat, he changed his mind and left the house. After that, he once again wanted to be left totally alone and ceased to eat altogether.

He seemed plagued by nerves and could not sleep or eat, all he would do was either sit by himself or walk in the moor. Mrs. Dean tried to talk him into getting some help, but he wouldn't. He did tell Mrs. Dean he wished to be buried in the churchyard next to Catherine. He acted in a most distressing manner towards everyone, one minute he was fine and the next he wanted to be rid of all of them.

Then one rainy evening, Mrs. Dean noticed the window was open in his bedroom. She thought he was not home and so went up to close it. She found him dead in his bed with his eyes open and a smile on his face.

Mr. Lockwood, on his way back to Thrushcross Grange went by the graves of Edgar, Catherine, and Heathcliff. He thought they must be at peace now, despite the local lore of them haunting the house and moors.

These last chapters of the book show how people can change how they perceive others. Catherine and Hareton went from being enemies to being engaged and Heathcliff in the end changed from a self-assured man to one not sure of anything at all.