Chapter 8
8
C ally had spent the morning deep-cleaning the flat. It had been well overdue and had moved from something she had to do to whizzing up to the top of her list as a priority. Cleaning wasn’t her most profound joy in life, however, needs must, and no one else was going to do it. Even though the flat was small, with Cally working three jobs and not having a whole lot of time on her hands, it had become fairly untidy and in need of a good top-to-bottom deep clean. Truth be told, she’d been procrastinating about it for far too long.
Once she’d knuckled down and got on with it, she had, in fact, quite enjoyed getting stuck in. The vacuuming, dusting, cleaning, bleaching, and polishing of the place to within an inch of its life and clearing out two bags for the charity shop had performed some sort of ritual cleansing that had been a long time coming. As she looked at the two sacks for the charity shop by the front door, it amazed her how, in not that long at all, and despite having a meagre budget for most things, she had managed to accumulate so much stuff. She’d still somehow acquired a multitude of this and that to clutter up her life. Easily done.
Just as she was putting the cleaning materials back under the sink and thinking about either walking up to the manor or popping to the library, her phone pinged with a text from Lovely Coats shop to say that her coat was ready. After a little whoop and more than pleased, with a spring in her step, she left the flat, took the steep stairs down to the ground floor, went through the deli onto the High Street, and made her way through Lovely.
On her way to the shop, every other person she passed wore a Lovely coat. Cally couldn’t quite believe that she was going to have one of her own. Of course, she’d worn one of the much-coveted coats more than a few times before. Logan’s mum had even given her one, but it was a bit big, and it wasn’t quite the same as joining the crew of locals who had their own made-to-measure coat for life. Now, she was about to join the ranks.
She smiled as she got to the shop and peered in the window. As before, she was greeted with reams and reams of fabric, little glowing lamps everywhere, old-fashioned cubby holes neatly stacked with dressmaking tools, and the vintage shop counters. Stepping in, Molly, the owner, stood on the far side beside a mannequin, pinning a collar on a coat. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. ‘Afternoon, our Cally. That was quick! How are you?’
‘Good, thanks. I thought I'd come right away to collect it, seeing as I have a day off today. Thank you for doing my coat so quickly. I’m so excited!’
‘You said you wanted to take it to Scotland with you, so we got our skates on.’
‘Fab. It will be good to have it with me. Thanks for doing that. I appreciate it.’
Molly smiled and put down her pins and scissors on the cutting table. 'Well, let's not keep you waiting then. Your coat's just in the back. Won’t be a minute.'
Molly disappeared into the back room and Cally stood a bit mesmerised by the shop, just as she had the first time she'd been in. An aroma of waxed cotton filled the air, loads of bolts of fabric were stacked neatly on shelves, and everything appeared to be so well organised and in order that it made Cally feel as if she wanted to run home and reshuffle her whole life.
The sound of Molly's footsteps brought Cally's attention back to the present. Molly emerged from the back room, a garment bag draped carefully over her arm. 'Here we are. Come on over to the mirror. It should be just right, but we’ll see.'
They moved to a large, ornate mirror tucked into one corner of the shop. Its gilt frame slightly tarnished with age, the glass spotless, reflecting the shop's lamps. Molly unzipped the bag with a flourish and Cally smiled. 'Ooh, I’m so happy to have this! It's beautiful.'
Molly beamed. 'I love this moment when someone gets one of these. Honestly, it never gets old.'
Cally nodded and shrugged off her cardigan as Molly lifted the coat from its hanger and held it out, helping Cally slip her arms into the sleeves. The moment the coat settled on her shoulders, Cally was happy. As a few people, including some at Lovely Manor, had said to her, there was nothing like getting your first Lovely coat. It just felt right. The weight was solid without being heavy, the fit impeccable without being too tight, and it felt as if it could and would take her through any and all weathers. Nice.
Molly stepped back, her head tilted critically as she examined the fit. 'How does it feel? All good over the shoulders there, or not?'
Cally turned from side to side and watched her reflection in the mirror. She stretched her arms out across her chest. 'It feels just right. Like it was made for me.'
'Well, that’s the aim! It was. That's the beauty of a bespoke coat.’ Molly patted the back of the coat over Cally’s shoulders and narrowed her eyes. ‘Yep, just how we like it. You can get a jumper on if you need to.’
Cally cocked her head to the side. ‘Gosh. It really is nice to have my own one. The fit is perfect. Honestly, you’re really good at this.’
‘It’s Lovely.’ Molly joked. ‘Let me check all the details at the side here.’ Molly ran her hands along the seams and checked the fall of the fabric. 'The length is good,' she noted, more to herself than to Cally. 'And the shoulders sit just right. Yeah, nice.'
Cally watched in the mirror as Molly fussed with the coat, making minute adjustments here and there.
'Let me check the sleeves and storm cuffs. Hold out your arms. You want these to be right.’
Cally held out her hands and Molly nodded approvingly. 'Perfect. Long enough to protect your wrists from the wind, but not so long they'll get in the way. You don’t want them too long.' She stepped back again, gesturing for Cally to move. 'Have a little walk around. Get a feel for how it moves with you. We can alter it if it's not right.'
Cally did as instructed, paced the length of the shop, put her hands in the pockets and flicked the hood up and down a few times. She stretched her arms out, twisted from side to side, and even did a little twirl that made Molly laugh.
'Well?' Molly asked. ‘Happy with it? You need to be happy from the word go.’
'Yep. I've never had anything fit as well.'
Molly's smile widened. 'That's what we like to hear. Now, let me show you all the features.'
Molly pointed out a few details as she spoke. ‘We've reinforced the elbows and shoulders for durability and the pockets are lined with flannel to keep your hands warm.' Molly flipped the coat open to the inside. 'There's a hidden pocket just inside. Perfect for keeping your keys safe and dry and this one on this side will perfectly fit a phone.’ She pointed to another small pocket. ‘This is for a battery pack. It’ll stay dry if you’re out getting wet on a boat…’
‘Oh, wow, I haven’t seen that before on any of the coats I’ve borrowed.’
Molly shook her head. ‘No, you wouldn’t have. The battery pack thing is only on our newest coats.’
As Molly continued to point out the coat's features – a storm flap at the back, adjustable cuffs, and a two-way zipper hidden beneath the button placket, Cally marvelled at the thought and care that had gone into every detail.
'It's fully waterproof. You could stand in a downpour and stay dry as a bone underneath.'
Cally grinned. 'Knowing Lovely Bay's weather, I'm sure I'll be putting that to the test soon enough.'
Molly laughed. 'I've no doubt.' She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a small brass tag. 'This is for you to engrave if you'd like. Most folks put their initials or the date they got their coat. It's a bit of a tradition.'
Cally took the tag and turned it over. It was a simple rectangle with a hole at one end for attaching to the coat. 'Where would it go?'
'Usually just inside, near the label,' Molly explained. 'But it's up to you. Some people like to keep it in that hidden pocket I showed you as a sort of secret talisman.'
Cally nodded. ‘Nice.’
'You don't have to decide now. Take it home, think about it. You can bring it back any time to have it engraved and attached.'
'Thank you,' Cally said, slipping the tag into her pocket. 'I'll give it some thought.'
'Good. A Lovely coat is for life, after all. You want to make sure it's just right.'
Cally turned back to the mirror. She felt a bit bonkers, but the coat had seemed to transform her somehow. Made her feel as if she belonged. ‘It does.’
‘Happy with it?'
Cally nodded emphatically. 'More than happy. Thank you so much.'
Molly beamed. 'My pleasure. Right, the care instructions will arrive via a PDF to your email. Honestly, it’s best if you follow them.’ Molly touched the cuff of Cally’s coat. ‘People joke about it, but a Lovely coat really can last a lifetime if you treat it right. Do you want to wear it out, or shall I pack it up for you?'
Cally hesitated for a moment. 'I think I'll wear it,' she decided. 'If that's alright?'
Molly chuckled. 'Of course it is.’
As Molly tapped on her phone to complete the sale, the shop door chimed. Both women looked up to see Nina coming in.
Nina smiled. 'I thought I saw you through the window. Hey, our Molly, how are you?’
‘Good. Just getting Cally sorted.’
‘Ahh, I thought so. Congratulations on your coat!’ Nina laughed.
Cally nodded. 'What do you think?'
Nina looked Cally up and down. 'It's gorgeous. The fit! Molly, you've outdone yourself as usual. Ooh, I loved it when I got my first coat. Such a good feeling! I think I stroked it for weeks,’ Nina joked.
Molly waved off the compliment, but Cally could see she was pleased. 'Cally made it easy, being such a good model.'
Cally smiled and looked down at the front of the coat. ‘I feel like I’ve joined a club.’
'I know the feeling. It's a beautiful coat, and you look lovely in it.' Nina agreed. ‘I remember when I got my coat. It feels like joining a secret society or something, doesn't it? I thought I was losing the plot having feelings for a coat, but there you are.'
Cally nodded, relieved that someone else understood. 'Exactly!’
‘You’ll keep noticing other people's coats now. It's like a weird shared experience.'
Molly chuckled. ‘You're one of us now—a proper Lovely Bay resident. Plus, you have a new model with the updated pocket situation. Not many have that one yet, so keep an eye on it.'
Cally nodded. Molly may well have laughed, but she didn’t know just how good the coat made her feel. She very much liked being in the club.