Ashleigh hadn't considered that Axel might feel jealous about Xavier interrupting their holiday. It wouldn't ever have occurred to her not to tell Axel about Xavier's visit. It wasn't as if Axel wasn't allowed to visit, if he'd really wanted to, but Ashleigh had to admit she would have discouraged him. This was her holiday with Aisling, and it seemed pointless for Axel to join them when he'd probably prefer Aisling's half of the holiday to Ashleigh's. "If Axel wants to go on holiday with us, he can arrange something," she said, resorting to the practical. "He knows your schedule and I still have two weeks of holiday unaccounted for."
It almost certainly wasn't going to be selkies. Ashleigh was just hoping it wasn't mermaids, because that would be too illogical for a magical book. Perhaps an animagus, that would be acceptable. "It's already Friday and I haven't started it yet," she said. "I don't know if I'll finish it, and it's not quite as apt for reading in Russia in November." She had chosen it because it was all about a beach, and they were going somewhere with a beach. For Russia, she'd have to pick something else entirely.