Abilene was relatively surprised at the sound of her father's footfalls against the marble floors approaching the door the three had been crowded around. Her face betrayed her emotions - a hint of panic flashed across her eyes - as the door to the hall was opened. Her father seemed relatively surprised to see his wife and two children outside, at least. And so Abilene was quick to mask her own panic, already thinking of perfectly valid reasons as to why he would find them all in such a state.
Or at least her.
Her mother, she rationalized, had been at the meeting herself. So there was no explanation to be had there. Her brother... well, he had actually been eavesdropping when she had happened upon him. But she knew as well as anyone that Cato could not lie. No, her father would know immediately.
Her brother opted to answer before she had the chance to even part her lips in explanation. Cato chose the route of averted truth - smart, she thought. He definitely had the makings of a leader in his future, and it was evident in the way that he told the truth without really telling the truth flat out.
The commander had flitted out of the room a while ago, and Cato was soon dismissing himself to join her in his admittance of knowing what his father had discussed. And then that left her mother, who had a natural reason to be outside the hall after her father had his meeting...
...and herself, who... well, didn't.
Abilene was a cunning liar, that much was true. She didn't naturally take delight in her ability to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, but for whatever reason, she'd been able to hide the truth skillfully away behind a smile, sparkling eyes, kind words, a clever diversion or the like for as long as she could remember.
"Father," she began with a smile pulling at the side of her lips. "I am not certain of this... 'everything' you speak of, though Cato does appear to know better than I. I, myself, have only reached the hall just a moment before you, you see. I was on the way to my horseback lessons."
The entirety of it wasn't a lie - she had really only just reached the hall, but it wasn't like it was only a moment before. She knew very well what her father had been discussing in the hall. But the biggest lie of all was the last part - she had in fact not been on the way, having escaped her etiquette lessons. Instead, she had been planning on finding her way to the gardens to daydream some more. She was sure now that those daydreams would have to wait for later, as her father would see that she made it to her lessons - as it was where she was going, apparently. The words had come from her own mouth. She cursed herself at not coming up with a better destination. But at least that was truly believable.
She smiled at her mother, before turning the look back to her father. Her eyes practically twinkled with hidden mischief that might otherwise be read as merriment. She knew how well her own father knew her - both of her parents were probably the only two that would question a single word that came from her perfectly rehearsed lips. But even sometimes for the two of them, it wasn't so easy to tell when she was just being polite and well-mannered, and when she was lying through her teeth.
She would have laughed if that wouldn't have given her away.