"I think that people know about our engagement," said Mma Ramotswe, as she and Mr J.L.B. Matekoni sat drinking tea in the office of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. "My maid said that she had heard people talking about it in the town. She said that everybody knows."

"That is what this place is like," sighed Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. "I am always hearing about other people's secrets."

Mma Ramotswe nodded. He was right: there were no secrets in Gaborone. Everybody knew everybody else's business.

"For example," said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, warming to the theme, "when Mma Sonqkwena ruined the gearbox of her son's new car by trying to change into reverse at thirty miles an hour, everybody seemed to hear about that. I told nobody, but they seemed to find out all the same."

Mma Ramotswe laughed. She knew Mma Sonqkwena, who was possibly the oldest driver in town. Her son, who had a profitable store in the Broadhurst Mall, had tried to persuade his mother to employ a driver or to give up driving altogether, but had been defeated by her indomitable sense of independence.

"She was heading out to Molepolole," went on Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, "and she remembered that she had not fed the chickens back in Gaborone. So she decided that she would go straight back by changing into reverse. You can imagine what that did to the gearbox. And suddenly everybody was talking about it. They assumed that I had told people, but I hadn't. A mechanic should be like a priest. He should not talk about what he sees."

Mma Ramotswe agreed. She appreciated the value of confidentiality, and she admired Mr J.L.B. Matekoni for understanding this too. There were far too many loose-tongued people about. But these were general observations, and there were more pressing matters still to be discussed, and so she brought the conversation round to the subject which had started the whole debate.

"So they are talking about our engagement," she said. "Some of them even asked to see the ring you had bought me." She glanced at Mr J.L.B. Matekoni before continuing. "So I told them that you hadn't bought it yet but that I'm sure that you would be buying it soon."