in secret

Some accounts say Valentine was a priest who continued to perform weddings in secret when they were banned by Emperor Claudius II.

Following the crackdown, some traders have resorted to selling their goods in secret, afraid to display them openly for fear of arrest.

"The case has a long way to go. But for now, we are relieved that the court has not allowed the Trump administration to hurry them away in secret."

"It would have been a truly extraordinary step to conduct a hearing entirely in secret without any public revelation of the fact that a hearing was taking place," it states.

In other words, on a matter of top national security concern — U.S.-Russian relations — a “cone of seclusion” was created, effectively leaving it to the two presidents to make decisions in secret.