"Sarah!" She actually covered her ears.
"Sorry. It slipped." I took a deep breath. "Your father isn't even aware we stayed at the hotel! He thinks we stayed at your house. Apparently Thatcher didn't tell him."
"I know. I told you adults lie. I made Thatcher not to tell him about the hotel. Thatcher mostly does what I ask. That's what I want you to do too."
"Thatcher lied for you?" She shrugged. "Then you lied to Thatcher by telling him both our rooms were fine. You didn't even see your room, and it wasn't rented for your father; just in case he happened to come by. That means you lied to me too!"
"The room was fine . . . no one even slept in it."
"Karen, you know that's misleading at best." She didn't contradict me. "Look. I can't be placed in a position of lying to your father. I care for him and I'm not about to start a relationship based on deceit. It's not fair to him or me. I'm going back to the hotel tonight. How do you propose I explain that to him?"
"Why go to a hotel? Daddy will be home tonight if they release Timmy. You can sleep in my mother's old room. It's cleaned out and doesn't smell anymore."
In frustration I pulled to the side of the road, startling Karen who remained upset. "It's difficult for you to understand but I don't want to stay in your house and certainly not in your mother's bed."
"Dad thinks we stayed home last night," she said, almost in tears. "Can't you say you changed your mind and want to go to a hotel for tonight?"
"That would be a direct lie and I'm not going to do it, Karen. Thatcher Wright may lie for you but Sarah Blanding isn't going to."
"I don't like you! I'll tell him that." All that we'd gained in the past several hours flew out the window with the sting of her words.
I took care choosing my answer. "Karen, I care for you dearly however you feel about me but you have to learn lying and half-truths hurt everyone, especially the people you love. I won't tolerate lies. I'm going to tell your father where we spent last night and I plan to spend tonight at the hotel again. I won't tell him we shared a room because it's personal between the two of us but if he asks directly, I won't lie to him." Karen clamped her mouth shut, turned to the window. Nothing more was said the rest of the way to Newton.