I'm no expert on these things, so I may not be exactly right on this but I'll tell you how I saw it.
First thing to remember is that there is a sort of hierarchy, well there was in the black community. Lighter blacks were often treated better and thought of more highly. They were more likely to get education and opportunities. Not all of them of course, other well off blacks could get opportunities as well but in general lighter skin was preferred.
Blacks like The Flemings (rich etc) would marry only other blacks with light complexions. It was about status. "Too much high yellow" means the baby wouldn't fit in. High yellow is a term used to describe blacks with very light complexions. They couldn't pass for white but they looked different than most other blacks.
Second thing to remember is that class and society rules were very much in order. So in general keeping up appearances was of the utmost importance.
I imagine the Flemings were slaveowners at one point during slavery (being referred to as "Mass Lincoln") or took advantage afterward with sharecropping, but even then they had to have money beforehand. So they were upper class, had respect, were an established family.
But they were not white. This was young Fleming's son. His blood (good blood in his eyes) was running through the babies' veins. He did feel that Flora was low class and he would never marry her but I don't think he thought that she was subhuman as a white man in his position probably would have. It might be me just projecting my own hopes on the situation but even though he looked down on her I think he felt a connection, however trivial, to the son.
So to answer your question yes, he did want the baby, though not necessarily because he loved him. I think most of all it was a sense of obligation, a duty. Everyone would know that was Flora's baby and what would it look like if he didn't take care of it? I was also thinking he might have wanted an heir, so to speak. I'm thinking the reason Flora had to leave was because it was an embarrassment to have gotten her pregnant, and they knew she would want to see the baby. Almost like they were trying to erase her from memory.
With all of this I hope I gave you a better understanding of it.
Rest in peace Sullivan Walker. A distinguished, underappreciated, talented actor and a lovely man.
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