Chapter 10
10
A fter the night in the bath taking in everything about the races and initially getting herself in a right old two and eight about her outfit, Cally had forced herself to stop panicking and overthinking. Instead, as Eloise had suggested, she had planned to make a day out of shopping for the races outfit. Why ever not? Her experience in the nail bar had made her adamant about making the preparation for the races a good thing. She was determined to make it something to enjoy. Therefore, she’d invited Eloise on a day out and they had planned to turn outfit shopping into an expedition, including a nice long and possibly boozy lunch. Things had been worse. Cally had meticulously planned out a day for them both, worked out her finances and couldn't quite believe it when she’d actually started to look forward to it.
After meeting Eloise at a train station, they took a fast train to a pretty Georgian spa town and headed for a historic shopping area renowned for its unique boutiques and picturesque setting—a perfect place to shop for a fancy outfit. After walking around the lovely streets for a while with a takeaway coffee from Gail’s, they headed to a heritage colonnade walkway with elegant columns and old-fashioned tiled pavements.
Walking along next to Eloise, Cally looked down at the map on her phone, worked out where to go, and they made their way to a heritage-listed shopping arcade. After her research in the bath, she’d decided to go all in and spend some of her hard-earned savings on a dress, matching hat, and shoes to ensure that she was properly attired. She’d found a few places that catered specifically for the occasion and had decided to throw caution to the wind, for once in her life, not worry about money and get the shop to kit her out from head to toe. Job done.
She felt quite apprehensive about trying to find an outfit but kept her mouth shut and felt determined to stick to her plan. She would no longer be defined by what her old life had given her. Goodbye doubt and overthinking, hello newfound confidence. As they got to the shop Cally had found online, she hesitated at the entrance, her hand hovering over an ornate brass door handle. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself, pushed the door open, held it open for Eloise, and stepped in.
The shop was quieter than she'd expected. Plush carpeting muffled their footsteps, and a rainbow of pastel colours lined the walls. Soft music played, and everything felt calm, peaceful almost. Oh, how the other half shopped. Pound shop retail, this was not.
‘Hello, how are you today?’ An assistant asked with a friendly smile and hushed tone.
‘Good, thanks.’
‘Anything I can help you with, or are you just having a look around?’
‘Just having a look. Actually, no, we’re not. I’m going to the races and I’m really not sure what to wear.’
‘You're in the right place,' the woman smiled. ‘By the way, I'm Sophie.’
‘I'm Cally and this is my friend, Eloise. She came along for a bit of moral support. I’ve never been to the races before.’
The assistant rubbed her hands together. ‘Ooh, you’re in for a right treat then. What section will you be in?’
‘Section?’
‘Sorry, I meant what enclosure? So we know the dress code.’
Cally suddenly went blank for a second or two. She fumbled in her bag, pulling out the slightly crumpled invitation. She squinted at it before looking up.‘The Royal Enclosure.’
The woman gaped. ‘Wow, right, okay. Hold on a minute, I’ll get Barbara.’
A few minutes later, an older, impeccably dressed woman emerged from the back. Her silver hair was coiffed perfectly into a chignon, and she carried herself with an air of quiet authority. Barbara beamed and put a pair of half-moon glasses on as she approached. ‘Hello, there. I hear you’re going to the Royal Enclosure. What an absolute treat. Lucky you!’
‘Yes.’ Cally gulped. She felt far from lucky. ‘I have nothing to wear and no idea.’
Barbara raised her eyebrows, looked Cally up and down and smiled. ‘Oh, don’t you worry about that. You have nothing to worry about in the slightest.’
‘No?’
Eloise smiled. ‘See, I told you.’
‘We do all the worrying for you,’ Sophie added.
‘Right.’
Barbara squinted over the top of her glasses. ‘And you, my lovely, you, are going to look amazing. Trust me. I know a good start when I see one.’
Sophie beamed. ‘Barbara is an absolute expert at this, aren’t you?’
Barbara nodded. ‘I am, indeed. If there is one thing I know, it’s what to wear to the races. I’ve been doing this job for a very long time. Too long, some might say!’
Eloise rubbed her hands together. ‘Let the fun begin.’
For the next ten minutes, Cally found herself in a whirlwind of fabric and fashion advice. Barbara and Sophie knew what they were doing. They were so nice about it, too, and worked together seamlessly, pulling dresses from racks and discussing colours and cuts in a language that seemed foreign to Cally. She sucked it up and went with the flow. Newly confident Cally was quite enjoying the ride.
Barbara handed Cally the first dress to try on. ‘The Royal Enclosure has very strict rules. Dresses and skirts should be of modest length, falling just above the knee or longer. We know the ins and outs of it. Everything here is designed to conform.’
Cally nodded, disappearing into the plush changing room. She emerged a few moments later in a pink dress with cap sleeves, feeling like a sack of potatoes with a belt in the middle.
Eloise clapped her hands together. ‘Oh, that's lovely!’
But Barbara shook her head. ‘Gosh, no. Dreadful. The colour washes you out and that is not the shape for you. Let's try something else.’
Back into the changing room, Cally went. This time, she came out in a navy blue dress with a high neckline and long bell sleeves.
Eloise shook her head and Barbara pursed her lips. ‘Too severe,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘We want to accentuate everything about you. You are very easy to work with, isn’t she Sophie?’
Sophie nodded and chuckled. ‘Very.’
The next dress, a yellow, fairly flowing affair, was promptly vetoed for being too casual. A black and white polka dot number Barbara felt was trying too hard on Cally’s small frame and a flowing maxi dress in emerald green had Cally tripping over the hem.
‘This is hopeless,’ Cally sighed, slumping onto a velvet ottoman outside the changing room. ‘Maybe I'm just not cut out for this.’
Barbara rolled her eyes. ‘Nonsense. We just haven't found the right dress yet. Dresses are like love – when you find the right one, you'll know.’
Sophie appeared then, a garment bag draped carefully over her arm. ‘This just came in yesterday. I have a good feeling about this one. I was unpacking them earlier.’
Cally trailed along behind Sophie with a weary smile and disappeared once more into the changing room’s entrance. As Sophie unzipped the bag, Cally gasped. The dress inside was white with a high-neck lace-covered bodice with fitted sleeves, a narrow nipped-in waist, and full skirt. She took it into the changing room and slipped it on, immediately noticing how it felt good in all the right places. The neckline was modest yet flattering, and the hem hit just below her knees. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the changing room.
The reaction was immediate. Sophie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Eloise squealed, Barbara's eyes widened and she beamed. ‘Why didn’t I go with white in the first place? Now, that is a dress fit for the Royal Enclosure. Stunning on you. I know we aren’t allowed to mention our bodies these days, but what a figure. Amazing!’
Cally turned to look in the full-length mirror, barely recognising herself. The dress was elegant and sophisticated, yet it still felt like her. She stood straighter, already feeling more confident. The delicate dress, with its high neckline, long sleeves, and fitted bodice, gave her a demure but goodness-knows-how sophisticated look. The lace detailing added a dainty and feminine touch. Her waist looked teeny-tiny. She loved it and possibly even herself, too.
‘It doesn’t look like me. But it's perfect,’ Cally breathed.
‘Not quite. We still need to find you a hat.’
What followed was another whirlwind of trying on, this time with hats of all shapes and sizes.
Eloise laughed out loud at the first one. ‘It makes you look like you’ve been eaten by a UFO.’
Cally giggled, peering out from under the enormous brim and Sophie laughed. They then tried pillbox hats ("Too Jackie O," according to Barbara), elegant straw ("Nice, but not quite right for the Royal Enclosure"), and everything in between. Just as Cally was beginning to despair about ever finding the right hat, the last one was the winner, with a gently curved brim and a delicate flower detail sitting on the hairline underneath.
‘This is it,’ Cally said confidently as she placed it on her head. ‘This is the one. I can feel it.’
Barbara nodded approvingly. ‘Yes, that’s it. Nude shoes and bag, and we’re done here. Too easy.’
For the first time since receiving the invitation, Cally felt a flutter of excitement about attending the event. She even twirled in front of the mirror, watching as the dress swirled around her legs. She turned to Barbara and Sophie. ‘Thank you. I came in here feeling so lost, and now, I do not at all. In actual fact, I feel amazing.’
‘You look it for sure.’ Sophie trilled. ‘I love it when it goes like this.’
‘Yes, me too.’ Barbara agreed.
Eloise nodded. ‘And me. You look so pretty, Cal. I love it. This has been one very sweet day already and we haven’t even had our boozy lunch yet.’
Cally chuckled. ‘We can go and actually enjoy it now.’
‘Yup, and you, my friend, are going to the races dressed up to the nines. Just wait until Logan sets eyes on you in that. He’s going to die.’