Madeleine's marriage

the long version

She knew trouble when she saw it! New Englander Madeleine Charbonneau was too big a girl to think of marriage - five feet ten inches, to be precise. Her problems consisted mainly of keeping a roof over her head in the quiet town of Laconia, New Hampshire, and caring for her great-aunt, Tante Marie. Then Joel Fairmont moved into the house next door, and Maddie's life changed abruptly. She was fed up with her good-looking neighbor, what with his scandalous parties and his foul-speaking parrot! It wasn't like her to threaten a stranger with physical violence - but then, most strangers didn't kiss her like that! Whatever was she to do about that arrogant, arrant man? Concerned for her fragile old housemate, she plotted to get rid of Joel. Her scheming wasn't supposed to lead to her spending a night on a lonely island--trapped with tempting Joel! Nor was her reputation supposed to wind up as grist for the town's gossip mill! Joel's honorable proposal of marriage saved the day. But Madeleine had the unnerving suspicion that her rescuer was railroading her....