“The door had dropped yet more on its hinges and it screeched wildly upon the paved oath beyond when she pushed it… But the curtains of wistaria were the same, and beyond them was the garden, green and wild…”
🌿Elizabeth Goudge, The Scent of Water, ch 2
This week we watch Mary’s welcome into her new home at The Laurels and we see how she engages with the newness of the life she has chosen. Two things seem to welcome here with open arms—the wisteria and the Rayburn.
What is a Rayburn?
“A Rayburn is a totally flexible and controllable cast-iron range cooker that will transform your kitchen in to a welcoming space. As good looking as it is practical, the choice of fuel types, size of appliance and 16 colours makes choosing a Rayburn the right choice for your home.”1
“It was a big old-fashioned kitchen, stone-flagged like the hall. There was an oak dresser filled with cheap china, a large table covered with a scarlet cloth and a low whitewashed ceiling. She saw to her relief that the original range had been replaced by a modern Rayburn that was alight and filling the kitchen with warmth. A kettle was singing on the hob…”
🌿Elizabeth Goudge, The Scent of Water
“The arched door in the wall was still green, though the paint was peeling off it, and the bell was still there too… She was aware of nothing in the world at this moment except that she had come home.”
🌿Elizabeth Goudge, The Scent of Water
What else are you wondering so far in your reading?
Love to hear!
https://waterfordstanley.com/brands/rayburn#:~:text=A%20Rayburn%20is%20a%20totally,right%20choice%20for%20your%20home.
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Rayburns are still very much around, fuelled now by oil or gas
In the 1960s, I spent hours shovelling solid fuel into one, then in the 1990s, I worked in a household that had an oil-fuelled one. It felt rather like cheating -
I love the fun details you draw out!