We stayed there until we felt ready to continue our adventure. As I tramped through the tall grass like a Gothic heroine, I understood why Ann Radcliff’s Emily St Aubert was so drawn to exploring the deep woods and towering mountains, and the Brontë sisters’ heroines were tightly connected to wild moors and angry storms. It made me think that perhaps we’re not as far removed from the swooning maidens of Gothic literature as we might like to believe.