Dress Sense

By David Ellery

Hillie is a quiet teenager with an abundance of issues to work through, and a surfeit of anxieties, prime among which are some pretty dramatic changes to the fundamentals of her life.

Her father has bought a shop, with attendant apartment, both of which require more than a little work to get ready, but that doesn't stop him moving in.

As work progresses, Hillie charts a slow path toward rediscovering her real self, with the aid of some unexpected bonuses, one of which is more than a little difficult to believe...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781326837822

David Ellery

David Ellery is a feature writer, producing articles for a range of national publications in the UK. He began his career in television working with several independent producers before co-founding his own production company in 1996. Since then he has written, produced and, on a number of occasions, presented dozens of documentaries, receiving three RTS awards. Many of the programmes are history-related, including three series of In The Past (ITV) and standalone films for BBC television, which include Regal & Retired – the story of RMS Queen Mary. He was also part of the presentation team for BBC Two's Home Movie Roadshow. David Ellery's previous maritime books feature other prominent, historic liners. He also appears as guest presenter aboard luxury cruise ships with presentations on maritime history. He lives in Hampshire with his wife and three children.

Book preview

Sunday

THRUSTING THE DOOR OPEN with a flourish Dad spread his arms out and grandly declared, Welcome to your new home!

Hillie stepped past him, setting the cat's travel case down and flipping her hood back over her beret to look about.  She stood in a small, bare box of a room with faded green carpet, a door opposite the one they'd just come in through, and a tight spiral staircase to the left.  She raised an eyebrow at her father, unimpressed.

He grinned and tapped his nose. Ah, but you've not seen the best bit yet, Hils!

Putting his own, large suitcases down he opened the other door and moved across a larger room with a desk, filing cabinets and a safe to shove wide a third door opposite and gesture grandly for his daughter to enter.  Curiosity spiking she padded over to join him, but of all the things she could have expected to see, a shop still full of shelves, racks and clothing was most certainly the last.  Wide blue eyes turned to the bearded man beaming at her gleefully.

  Great, isn't it?! He practically skipped into the store. "Our very own shop!  All right, it's gonna need a little work, but..."

Hillie's gaze drifted across the shuttered and cracked front windows and door, the multitude of broken or missing shelves, the scuffed and streaked tile floor, and the three toppled racks, and decided her father was rather understating the matter.

  It looks like there was a fight in here, she stated, dryly.

  Well, yes, there, uh, was – the last owners fell out just a little bit and kinda, uh, tried to kill each other – but it's nothing some honest elbow grease can't fix, I swear.

Hillie wasn't convinced, several questions running through her mind, but she settled for the simplest and most pertinent. Why?

Her father came to stand before her, taking her hands in his, a softer cast to his smile. Because I thought we needed a change, a fresh start, something as different as I could find.  I won't lie – this isn't going to be easy, but I believe I can make it work. He stroked a thumb across the back of her hand. "Especially if I have you to help me.  If you want to help me, of course..."

Hillie looked around once more, a rather out-there idea forming. All right, but only if I get all the clothes.

  "All the clothes?" Now it was Dad's turn to lift a brow.

  "Well, it is just going to be taken to a clothes bank otherwise, right?"

  "True, but still...all of it?"

Hillie nodded, holding her breath.

Dad's face creased in thought for a moment, then his smile widened and he nodded. "Alright – I think we can make that work.  We do have a spare room I was wondering what to do with, after all."

  Thanks, Dad. A smile warmed Hillie's delicate, richly terracotta face and she gave him a grateful hug.

He embraced her back, kissing what little of her forehead the beret didn't cover. I'm far too soft on you, you know that?

  I know. Hillie eased away, moving to the nearest rack. Do you mind if I get rid of the more...tasteless...bits and pieces?

  Not at all; in fact, I'll help. Dad joined her; he soon pulled out a pair of tiny lycra shorts, grimacing. How would you even get into these?

  Crowbar? Hillie suggested. Shoehorn?

Between them they removed more than two dozen items of clothing that didn't at all appeal, from a mesh top with just a thin strip of solid cloth across the chest to a micro-bikini so small neither could quite see how it covered much of anything.  Dad bundled everything up.

  I'll dispose of this, and you can have the rest.  Feel free to wear some of it, all or it or none of it.  Up to you! He caught her hand and pulled her back out to the small room. Let's go look at the flat.  Grab Max.

Chuckling softly and shaking her head, Hillie picked up the cat's case while her father collected his baggage.  Dad led the way up the spiral staircase to a long corridor, three rooms on one side, two on the other and a fifth through an arched entrance at the end.

  Two bedrooms and bathroom to the left, spare room and kitchen on the right, and lounge up ahead. he told