has Baptista been a good father? Does he love kate? Does he love bianca more?

I don't doubt that Baptista loves his daughters, but he does seem to have a preference for Bianca. Let's face it, Bianca puts on the "proper" public face, whereas her sister refuses to be anything but what and who she is. Ultimately, Baptista's desire to auction his daughters' off in marriage to the highest bidders belies his love...... but this was the practice of the times. Marriages were nothing more than business arrangements; they were not personal or based on love (unless you were lucky).