Chapter 5

The next three days passed slowly as Remington and Laura sat through multiple meetings, four more staff interviews, and one uncomfortable meeting with Lady Catherine Galt and members of Scotland Yard. Laura watched her husband fidget and twist in his seat repeatedly as the family officer spelled out the regulations they would need to follow. Remington bobbed his head in acknowledgement once the family officer finished. "And the dogs… the strays in the neighborhood… will that be a problem?" he asked tentatively.

"Well, Mr. Steele, we're not sure. Your request is unprecedented. Normally these animals would be collected by the Animal Wardens and taken to a kennel where their families are searched for. If the families are not found, after thirty days, the animals would be put up for adoption or euthanized due to overcrowding," the family officer explained.

"So, you're saying we'd be encroaching on the business of the Wardens?" he tried to clarify.

The family officer shook his head. "We don't really know. I've been speaking with the Animal Wardens of the area and we may have come up with a solution… an agreement so to speak… that may help both them and your organization."

"What agreement might that be?" Laura questioned.

The family officer smiled at her. "Well, our first concern is the health and safety of the boys. Hands down. However, we agree the animals may add a bit of healing to their mental states. It also helps socialize the animals both with children and other dogs. So… on a trial basis, the Warden has suggested that once an animal has been collected it spends a week in quarantine at the shelter where they can determine the dog's health, age, and ownership status. Then, after the quarantine, the animal is introduced to one of the boys in residence. We will have someone come down to help teach commands and basic training for the animals."

"You mean give the boys a purpose? Like a job?" Laura interjected.

"For starters. If the boys have a connection with the animal, they may be more willing to devote time and energy to the dog. From there, they will gain the confidence to devote time to themselves. We've seen this behavior before," the family officer assured her.

Laura glanced at Remington who was currently gnawing on his thumbnail. "Well, Mr. Steele, is this the vision you had?"

Remington pursed his lips tightly before he smoothed his hand down his tie. "What happens if there is no connection? Or if the boys choose to leave the foundation for a foster home? Will the animal remain or be returned to the kennel?"

"Officer Burnell and I have discussed this possibility at great lengths. His suggestion was to have the boys spend time at the kennel, getting to know the different animals prior to bringing them to your facility. That way, they can establish a relationship in a controlled environment," the family officer stated.

Remington sighed softly. "I can agree to that… maybe as part of their stay, they earn the privilege of visiting the kennel. Now, what about—"

"I've spoken with my superiors, Mr. Steele, and I can assure you, we will do everything in our power to keep the boy and the dog together. These boys need to know someone has their best interests at heart and if they've bonded with these dogs in any way, we don't want to break that. We need them to trust us, and if the only way to do that is to give them this amazing opportunity for a ground-breaking program, then we are all in." The family officer sat back in his seat, crossed his arms, and smiled widely. "I'm excited to see this in action, sir."

"Now what?" Laura's eyes sparkled with joy.

"Now, we hammer out the rules… Where will the dogs be allowed to roam freely? Will they be in every room, things of that nature? Correct?" Remington confirmed.

"I took the liberty of addressing some of those ideas, Mr. Steele, and I've got a detailed plan here," Lady Catherine announced. She passed a small packet of papers to everyone. "We've started getting donations from local shops in the area for supplies for the animals."

Remington studied the proposal before him. "Lady Catherine, this is impressive. You've even taken the foresight to include monthly visits to a local veterinary clinic but I notice the clinic is clear across London."

Lady Catherine smiled demurely at him. "That is a very astute observation, Mr. Steele. If you'd turn to page two, you'll see the donation of a Renault Espace people carrier. That should be sufficient to travel across the city and back, don't you think?"

Laura knit her brows together. "Just for clarification, what exactly is a people carrier?"

Several gentlemen across the table snickered softly, but it was Lady Catherine who offered an explanation. "I believe in the United States they call them minivans. This particular vehicle will seat seven adults comfortably."

"More than enough room for the boys and the dogs." Remington nodded his head in agreement.

"I've also taken the liberty of reaching out to the local veterinary school to see if, perchance, they have students willing to donate time at the house as well. To help out with some of the more mundane, day-to-day stuff," Lady Catherine added.

Laura's hands drifted down her rounded belly as she exhaled softly. "It all sounds wonderful. I do have one concern, though. You've got a plan in place for the health and welfare of the dogs, but what about the boys? Will there be a nurse or someone with medical training to care for them?"

Lady Catherine chuckled. "We have a nurse practitioner on staff, and the local clinic has offered their services should there be a need in case of an emergency. The boys' health will be well taken care of, I can assure you."

Remington rested his hand on his mouth as he absorbed the information. He frowned once before asking, "Is there anything we haven't covered?"

"Nothing that further concerns us," the family officer stated. He stood, the other men following suit. "With the soft opening of the facility at the end of the week, all we need to do now is get the word out on the street."

Remington stood, smoothed his tie, and held Laura's chair as she rose to her feet. "Don't you worry. My wife and I will take care of spreading the word."

"We will?" Laura tilted her head, confused.

"I've had some flyers drawn up that we are going to distribute tomorrow," Remington explained. He held Laura's coat for her and waited.

Slowly, Laura turned and slipped her arms into the sleeves. She smoothed her sweater down over her rounded belly and turned to face Lady Catherine. "It looks like you have covered all the bases. Now we wait and see what happens, I guess."

Lady Catherine smiled at Laura. "You won't be able to wait too long. That sprog will have your attention soon enough."

"Sprog?" Laura questioned.

"She's referring to our babe, love," Remington informed her as he slid his hand around her waist. "And speaking of which, we should probably get you back to the hotel for some rest. You must be exhausted."

"Hungry is more like it," Laura admitted.

Lady Catherine laughed softly. "Well, in any case, don't you worry about anything from this point on. Once the doors are open and things are running smoothly, we'll be sending monthly reports as well as a weekly check-in."

"Tomorrow, Laura and I will pass out flyers in the neighborhoods. Our flight back to LA is the day after so we do appreciate you and Drew keeping us in the loop," Remington stated with a nod. He lifted his chin toward the door and added, "Looks like your driver is a bit impatient over there, Lady Catherine. We'll talk soon."

Lady Catherine pulled her wrap around her shoulders and with a final nod she repeated, "We'll talk soon."