“Don’t pay any attention to what the label says,” said the jeweller, lowering his voice. “I can offer very big discounts.”

Mma Ramotswe peered at the tray. Then she looked up and shook her head.

“These are too big,” she said. “I told you that I wanted a smaller ring. Perhaps we shall have to go to some other shop.”

The jeweller sighed. “I have some others,” he said. “I have small rings as well.”

He slipped the tray back into its place and extracted another. The rings on this one were considerably smaller. Mma Ramotswe pointed to a ring in the middle of the tray.

“I like that one,” she said. “Let us see that one.”

“It is not very big,” said the jeweller. “A diamond like that may easily be missed. People may not notice it.”

“I don’t care,” said Mma Ramotswe. “This diamond is going to be for me. It is nothing to do with other people.”

Mr J.L.B. Matekoni felt a surge of pride as she spoke. This was the woman he admired, the woman who believed in the old Botswana values and who had no time for showiness.

“I like that ring too,” he said. “Please let Mma Ramotswe try it on.”

The ring was passed to Mma Ramotswe, who slipped it on her finger and held out her hand for Mr J.L.B. Matekoni to examine.

“It suits you perfectly,” he said.

She smiled. “If this is the ring you would like to buy me, then I would be very happy.”

The jeweller picked up the price tag and passed it to Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. “There can be no further discount on this one,” he said. “It is already very cheap.”

Mr J.L.B. Matekoni was pleasantly surprised by the price. He had just replaced the coolant unit on a customer’s van and this, he noticed, was the same price, down to the last pula. It was not expensive. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the wad of notes which he had drawn from the bank earlier that morning and paid the jeweller.

“One thing I must ask you,” Mr J.L.B. Matekoni said to the jeweller. “Is this diamond a Botswana diamond?”

The jeweller looked at him curiously.

“Why are you interested in that?” he asked. “A diamond is a diamond wherever it comes from.”

“I know that,” said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. “But I would like to think that my wife will be wearing one of our own stones.”

The jeweller smiled. “In that case, yes, it is. All these stones are stones from our own mines.”

“Thank you,” said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. “I am happy to hear that.”

THEY DROVE back from the jeweller’s shop, past the Anglican Cathedral and the Princess Marina Hospital. As they passed the Cathedral, Mma Ramotswe said: “I think that perhaps we should get married there. Perhaps we can get Bishop Makhulu himself to marry us.”

“I would like that,” said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. “He is a good man, the Bishop.”