Chapter 25
But wake her he must, her eyes flutter open at his kisses and her smile is brighter even than the morning sun, she leaps joyously from her place, pulls her clothes on over her shift and catches up the sack of her belongings, he has not even struggled into his shirt before she is out the door and calling for Hareton to get his arse up and out of bed afore they miss the tide.
He dresses and hurries after her, almost falling to his death over Hareton on the stairway as the little boy pushes past in his bid to be ready for the day's adventure, they find Joseph in the kitchen reeling after being told by Miss that there were no time for prayers today, though he might say one for their safe journey, never has he seen any one body in such a rush about anything, still she be out with the horses, he gives Hareton a hunk of bread and cheese for his breakfast on the road and they find Keela with two horses ready before he is halfway through it, Heathcliff pulls the boy up before him and they make their way down to the dock, it is further than he remembers and it took a little time to persuade Hareton that Joseph was not accompanying them, for the child stood in the yard and stamped and hollered at his perceived abandonment by his faithful servant.
Finally, being put more in mind of Hindley than was comfortable, he simply snatched the child up by the back of his collar and rode away with him, beating at his chest and calling the poor old servant all manner of foul names.
Keela assures him that Joseph will be quite well, he has plenty of coin, and he has his Bible, what more could he need?
Besides, Hareton shall have servants by the hundred when they reach Ireland, his father was only the son of a hill farmer, in Ireland they have a castle, and servants and land as far as the eye can see.
Is it hers?
She glances back and shakes her head and tells him it was hers but now it is Heathcliff's, the boy pulls at him and demands to know why he was not told any of this? Why did they not go at once?
Heathcliff sighs, they are going now and that will have to do.
The lad sits open mouthed as the sea appears above the hills, blue as a sapphire, it seems to stretch on forever.
The captain welcomes them jovially, passes Keela a bottle of bitters to ease her inevitable suffering and welcomes the little lad as if he were a favoured nephew, showing him all there is to see about the ship, even taking him up the rigging and instructing him to spy for land.
He would not come down even for his supper, though the sky was black as pitch and a storm was rolling in with the promise of thunder, he paid no attention to Keela, hanging over the ship's side, though she were sick as a dog.
The captain patted her shoulder companionably each time he passed by and reassured her it would pass soon, Heathcliff brought her a blanket and threw it about her trembling shoulders as the storm broke, he stands beside her careful to look away and so preserve some semblance of her dignity, as the cry for land goes up in Hareton's childish timbre she washes her mouth clean and spits keenly over the side, Heathcliff flinches at the gesture and then catches her as she slumps sideways, he leans her against the side as they make port and gathers up their belongings, a carriage cannot be found to take them all the way and so they ride as long as they may in comfort, and then borrow horses from the inn at which they stop to eat, Keela pulls Hareton up before her and he looks about in wonder at the fierce, strange new land in which he finds himself, all about flowers shimmer in the fields and hedgerows, snow glitters on the mountaintops and birds circle and fill the air with their colour and song.
As though all of nature welcomes Keela home, and they with her.
Hareton refuses to get down from the beast's back when they reach the heart of the city, he gazes in awe at the mighty cathedral, arching high as the reaches of heaven, the windows sparkle like rainbows in the summer light, Hareton cannot believe it,
The windows are made of pictures!
Keela roars with laughter and they take the horses to the inn and pay a pretty penny to have them returned from whence they were borrowed.
She pauses in the square and smiles back at Heathcliff, he watches her remember how she found him here, after all those years, she takes his hand in hers, the other clung to by Hareton who eyes the mighty doors of the church, he glances up, his voice thin with nervous excitement, can they go in?
Not yet, Keela must go home, she cannot enter the house of God in men's raiment.
Why not? She did at home.
And does he remember the beating she got for so doing?
Yes.
They will come later, besides then it will be time for Evensong, it's a service, it will be all the more beautiful if he is patient, the air will be full of candlelight and incense.
So long as Heathcliff has no objection?
He sighs and shakes his head, let the boy go if it pleases him, he has no doubt he will prefer it to the staid Protestantism of Joseph.
Speaking of joseph, he must never find out.
It would upset the old man deeply, Hareton may go to the church as often as he wishes but only on the solemn oath to make no mention of it should they ever return to England.
At last the towers of home can be seen, the green cloth above flying emerald against the sapphire sky.
Hareton pauses at the gateway, too nervous to go on, what if nobody likes him? He cannot speak Irish, what if he has no friends?
Heathcliff lifts him into his arms and carries him through, the servants stop and stare, then they bow low of one accord and rush forward, they should have sent word, nothing is ready, who is the child?
Keela turns sapphire eyes to Heathcliff, who tells them that the boy is his nephew and that they will treat him as they would their master's son.
Old Brigid comes forward gently, Keela explains that she is a little like Nelly, she looks after them, she is very kind, there is no need to be afraid,
The old woman bundles him up in her shawl and carries him off clucking gently in her own tongue, Hareton understands not a word but her voice is soft and she holds gentle, not like father did.
"Where are they taking him?" Heathcliff watches them dissapear into the depths of the castle.
Keela lays a hand to his arm, "Peace, only to wash him I daresay, and find him some better clothes."
"What's wrong with his clothes?"
She shakes her head, the brush of fire glimmering the morning sun, he silently thanks God that her hair is growing back. He misses it; it was her great beauty.
"They are worn through, we are not on the moors anymore my pet, he is not fit to be seen. Especially as he is now so grand."
Heathcliff shifts uncomfortably beside her, "I don't like grand people, not like…"
"I know." She cuts him off, her voice gentle "But this will be different, let him have a taste of what it means to be wealthy, 'is father gave him nothing but misery and fear."
His eyes are suddenly hard "Ye won't shut him up in some tower with books and learnin'? Ye won't send him away."
Her beautiful face is horrified "Never, how can you say such things to me?"
"Father sent Hindley away."
"That were different, he did t' save yer his torments, he shall have no learnin' e' don't want. We shall give 'im all that we can, but 'e shall be free as a bird I promise. I'll not raise 'im as…Aed would 'av chosen."
"Good." His eyes soften then, she smiles up at him and taking his hand in hers once more pulls him up the steps and into her home, they have been gone so long he could not find her chamber without her to lead him, but she knows it well enough and he watches the tension across her back ease, as she throws open the door and crosses the threshold, she drops the sack to the floor and pitches herself onto her old bed, sighing with relief, it is a though summer has returned at last, after a cold dark winter that he thought would never end.
He drops down beside her and she turns and lies her head upon his chest, arms tight about his waist.
"I wish we had never left." Her voice is soft as butterly wings.
He strokes the short fiery waves absently, kisses them gently, "So do I."
She glances up, startled by his confession, "We should a' stayed."
Heathcliff nods, silence stretched between them, and for the first time in months it feels easy, there is nothing left unsaid, she knows all that he has done, and she has forgiven it.
How shall they go on together now?
Shall he die at her side, warm in this bed when their days are done and it pleases God to call them home?
Cathy lies so far from him, will they be together in death? How can they? Now that he sleeps across an ocean, does she wait at his window still? When the storms howl upon the moors like a curse, does she sob his name at the lattice and wonder why he comes not to her?
He glances down into mermaid blue eyes shot through with silver, her smile is like sunlight, washing away the ghosts of memory, she presses her lips to his, her kiss like fire and gold, she puts him in mind of the fairytales Nelly used to read, of fairy beings and magic, in that moment he doubts not that Keela's kiss could be a spell, but could it break a curse?
Cathy Earnshaw, may you not rest…not while I'm living…
If he can love her as she deserves…Would Cathy be free to go to her heaven?
It was his own selfish will that bound her to the earth, his hate and his vengeance.
Lying here with Keela he dares to dream of peace, what would it be to lay it all down, to forget them and all their cruelties
Cathy, Edgar, Hindley…What do any of them matter any longer?