There was very little that could have distracted Ransom from the storm, but-- much like a pink elephant in a hurricane-- Charlotte's display of anger was so rare that he could never have missed it. He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it for her comfort as well as his own. This wasn't exactly par for the course, was it? His own family had been difficult at times, but they'd never belittled him and Charlotte... just embarrassed them from time to time. Embarrassment he could handle, but this... he'd not been prepared for, even without the storm raging outside.
"I don't stutter," Ransom said, his jaw clenched so tight that it hurt. He was reluctant to say more, not so sure what would come out of his mouth. Stuttering wasn't the only thing he was worried about. With Charlotte at the point of killing flowers, Ransom was ready to hit her step-father or walk out of dinner. Neither were viable options, so silence it was.