answer:When someone starts to tell me something that sounds very private, I ask about it ahead of time. If I’ve agreed in advance to keep it confidential, I always do, no slips, no hints, no cat-canary smiles or glances. But if someone tells me something and then says it’s a secret, and I feel that someone else ought to know, I tell them that: “I can’t agree to keep this from so-and-so.” As you note, not having agreed to hear it, I also did not have a chance to accept or decline any conditions. Usually I will say something provisional, such as “I may have to tell my husband. If you’re not okay with that, don’t tell me this story.” And then I will never try to weasel it out of them anyway. In my book, the only way to keep a secret is not to tell anyone, and that means anyone.