Timberlake left for a four-year voyage on the . During his long absence, Margaret was rumored to have suffered a miscarriage, from a pregnancy that could only have resulted from an affair with another man.
After departing on a four-year expedition, Timberlake's prolonged absence led to speculation that Margaret had suffered a miscarriage, which could only have occurred if she were pregnant with another man's child as a result of an infidelity.