Alas yes. Now Caroline had divorced husband No.2 after only three months, which in her short "my life" text is explained by "weil ich mich gezwungen sah, mich wegen schlechter Begegnung im März 1759 wieder scheiden zu lassen" - "bad encounter" literally, might mean anything between "bad interaction" or that he married her in bad faith. And she was the one with the money. If you want to know my suspicion as to why she didn't divorce Labes, it's that by the time he showed his true colors, they had children. (Achim's mother was born on May 13th 1761, and her son on January 1st 1763, i.e. both still during the 7 Years War.) And then she might have loved him and taken a while to fall out of love. What she does write is:
Despite this marriage being happier than the previous one, it certainly wasn't so completely, least of all was it comparable to the one with my dear Fredersdorf. Despite many sad hours and harsh trials, I did try to live with this last husband for sixteen years, during which time he took his constant residence in Zernikow for the last nine, while I with both children took mine in Berlin in the Dorotheenstadt (quarter) in the Quaree close to the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, and lived in the impressive house there I still own, though I did visit him once or twice a year with the children for several weeks in order to preserve (parental) unity as much as it was possible to do.
Unter den Linden is the famous alley running to and through the Brandenburg Gate. Today, most of the embassies are there, and one of the most legendary hotels. That was a top notch address Caroline had for her town residence, which she didn't yet have while Mrs. Fredersdorf - they lived in Potsdam then, remember, which is also where Lehndorff visits Fredersdorf a few months before Fredersdorf's death. In a way, Caroline proves you could go wrong marrying for love in the 18th century just as much as if your marriage was arranged, but then again - she treasured her first marriage, and the children she got from the third, and had more independence than most spouses at that time. What I begrudge is that Labes the louse got to live in Zernikow for nine years just because he pissed Fritz off (if Achim tells the truth) and thus couldn't be the one to stay in town!
Next question: does Labes sound as if he could have been a drinking buddy of Kaphengst (living nearby in Meseberg at exactly the same time) or what?
Re: The Third Husband
Despite this marriage being happier than the previous one, it certainly wasn't so completely, least of all was it comparable to the one with my dear Fredersdorf. Despite many sad hours and harsh trials, I did try to live with this last husband for sixteen years, during which time he took his constant residence in Zernikow for the last nine, while I with both children took mine in Berlin in the Dorotheenstadt (quarter) in the Quaree close to the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, and lived in the impressive house there I still own, though I did visit him once or twice a year with the children for several weeks in order to preserve (parental) unity as much as it was possible to do.
Unter den Linden is the famous alley running to and through the Brandenburg Gate. Today, most of the embassies are there, and one of the most legendary hotels. That was a top notch address Caroline had for her town residence, which she didn't yet have while Mrs. Fredersdorf - they lived in Potsdam then, remember, which is also where Lehndorff visits Fredersdorf a few months before Fredersdorf's death. In a way, Caroline proves you could go wrong marrying for love in the 18th century just as much as if your marriage was arranged, but then again - she treasured her first marriage, and the children she got from the third, and had more independence than most spouses at that time. What I begrudge is that Labes the louse got to live in Zernikow for nine years just because he pissed Fritz off (if Achim tells the truth) and thus couldn't be the one to stay in town!
Next question: does Labes sound as if he could have been a drinking buddy of Kaphengst (living nearby in Meseberg at exactly the same time) or what?