Well, on the one hand, there was no way Auguste could have known his new bride was a bitch. There's also no way he could have known he was going to die of a heart-attack so soon after bringing his new wife home. So you can't blame him for those two things.
On the other hand, the only reason he really married Baroness Rodmilla was so his daughter could have a mother again, knowing that she needed one in her life after losing her previous one so early. The marriage (like many higher-class unions at the time) were often treated like a business arrangement, though I suspect both parties tried to be friends and get along, rather than hate on each other. Honestly, he probably had only spent a few weeks traveling with his new wife and stepdaughters, with isn't really enough time to get to know your new family. I mean, everyone would have been on their best behavior at the start, so he wouldn't be motivated to turn around and have a divorce before they ever got to his house.
I also have a feeling the Baroness wasn't aware of just how strong the relationship was between the her new husband and her stepdaughter, and after losing her previous husband, it probably stung her that he chose to give his last dying words to his little girl, rather than the wife he barely knew. She should have realized that blood is still thicker than water and not held it against Danielle, but Rodmilla isn't the type to forgive, and can be a very jealous (and privately insecure) woman. She was also the villain in the story, so she wasn't supposed to let the death scene slide. It helped set the stage for her hatred and resentment of Danielle that would get worse and worse as the story progressed.
There's actually a scene in the novel (which was probably written using the original script) that took place the night after August brought Danielle's new stepfamily home. He and Rodmilla were in their bedchamber together, and she revealed her dislike for how Danielle seemed to "wear the crown" in that house, meaning, she was ready to take over and wasn't going to let a spoiled 8-year-old stand in her way. Auguste, of course, was dismissive about it, being her dad and all. Rodmilla also showed she had designs on the royal family, even back then, and had plans on using Marguerite as a possible marriage prospect for the prince, despite her just being a child at the time. August didn't seem fond of that idea, and couldn't understand why his wife wasn't content in the lot she'd gotten from marrying him.
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