Not that Jasper was cruel or manipulative; despite his nigh-constant wheedling, he never had—and never would—try to force himself on or bully any woman. Most girls were more than pleased with his attention. As for the sergeant and the major, their flirting was established, familiar, and Eliza had to admit, she always enjoyed it as much as he did. Until today.

His proposal, if it truly was such, had come absolutely out of the blue, and she had no idea how to respond to it. He knew she was old-fashioned and that, despite her occasional aloofness, a false proposal would wound her deeply. Not to mention she’d find a way to show him in no uncertain terms what a terribly bad idea that would be.

So that meant… Eliza lowered her face into her palm for a moment. A fake proposal would be awful, but a serious one just might be worse. She sighed and looked out on the desert once more. They had almost reached the eastern gate of the empty Big Market compound, and ahead she could glimpse the shape