Lying to a friend

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Well, it's a very complicated situation. Today I and 4 of my friends were invited for lunch by an employee of our college who works in the administration department. She is like a friend and sister to all of us and we are closer to her than others in our class. So, when we were getting ready to go, my roommate asked my other friends as to where they were going. I was not around when he asked this to them. He is not so close to the person whom we were to visit and hence he was not invited. I thought of telling him when I am leaving, but before that he asked my other friends. Now they didn't know what to say and just said "we are going out". He asked "where?" and they said "just like that", but it was clear that they were trying to hide something. My roommate felt bad and it was evident to all of us. Then to make the situation right, my friends called our host and asked if they can bring my roommate along, and she happily agreed. They now asked him to come with them, but he was already hurt and there was no chance of him agreeing to come now!! So, I too decided not to go and stayed back, while others went. All of us felt bad :( It's so complicated to decide on how to react in such situations and how to handle these situations. I said to my friends that they should have told him the truth when he asked for the first time. There is no point of him feeling bad then because he knows very well that he and the lady who invited us are not too close to each other and it is obvious that she would not prefer to invite everyone!! I'm sure he wouldn't mind if he was told the truth. Someone has invited someone to her house and why would he feel bad about it? Isn't it? What do you think friends? What should have my friends done when my roommate asked them where they were going?