It must be said that the unit that produced the "Rose Darewood" series for Double-Action Pictures was one of the hardest working in the later years of the studio, in only two years turning out 6 costume pictures full of action, sword fights, dagger duels and all things D-A. Of course, much of this was ability of lead actress EMMA WATSFORD (Emma Watson) to keep the material fresh and exciting. (In fact, the role took up so much of her time, that she had to drop her popular "English Annie" character from the GIRL CALLED TROUBLE series). This third entry in the series was something of "breathing space" as it lacked the international flavor and "big scenes" (like the Spanish Armada in the first film). Instead, Rose and her best friend "Arabella Avery" (HOLLY BENNETT/Haley Bennett) get leave from Queen Elizabeth Tudor (CASSIE FREEMAN/Cassidy Freeman) to visit her ancestral home Darewood Castle in the fictional county of Westshire after gettting strange letters from her older sister PENELOPE (LEAH MASTERS/Leighton Meester). They soon discover that the Darewoods are under near-siege from their ancestral enemies the Starnwoods of Starnwood Hall, now led by the cunning "Lady Isabelle Starnworth" (CATHERINE DELL/Catherine Bell) and her four evil daughters led by MARY ELIZABETH WINTHROP (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) ("It was a real challenge--not the action--but maintaining an English accent--they weren;t going to wait around until you got it right--I sweated blood to do it. It made the action scenes almost a relief because i didn't have to talk much."), with three other D-A veterans: JUDY FIELDER/Jodell Ferland (getting to play her first true villainess, she reportedly beat out her long-time rival ANN ROBERTSON/Anna Sophia Robb by having a better English accent).,  MONICA KEENE (Monica Keena), BROOKE NEVILLE (Brooke Nevin).

The story opens as Penelope is at home with her aged grandmother when in burst the Starnworth girls and their mother with a document they claim gives the them right to most of the Darewood land. The aged Lady Darewood stands up to the bullying, but plainly her health is failing. Penelope, whose husband is off in the Army. is pregnamt

("Oh, did she ever get teased about the padding they gaver her," Mary Elizabeth recalled.). Penelope writes to her sister Rose pleading for help. Rose consults with Queen Elizaabeth (CASSIE FREEMAN/Cassidy Freeman) who advises her to get the facts so a proper lawsuit can be filed with the local magistrates. Rose leaves at once accompanied by her best friend Arabella (HOLLY BENNETT/Haley Bennett) by coach under travel orders issued by the queen.

Rose and Arabella's coach is no more than a mile from Darewood Castle when it is stopped by a quartet of masked highwaymen--well, actually highwaywomen, as we soon discover it is the disreputable Starnworth sisters led by their

elder sister "Mary-Francis" (MARY ELIZABETH WINTHROP/Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The others are "Cicely" (BROOKE NEVILLE/Brooke Nevin); "Margaret" (MONICA KEENE/Monica Keena), and "Jane" (JUDY FIELDER/Jodell Ferland). It appears the Starnwoods were aware they were coming and want to intimidate them as well. Instead, Rose and Arabella defeat the surprised Starnworth bullies and run their horses off so they are obliged to walk home in footsore embarassment. Of course, this is only the beginning of the conflict.

Once reaching Darewood Castle, Rose soon realizes that any legal proceedings are going to hinge on key papers that are mysteriously missing from the castle records room. She isn't sure how this happened until discovering that Mary-Francis is one of the few Tudor women (besides Rose herself) who can swim and swim well. Rose goes diving in the Darewood moat and sure enough finds there was a secret escape door that Mary-Francis must have pried open to get intoi the castle. Detrermined to catch her in the act, Rose lets slip that she has brought with her copies of the documents that prove the Darewoods case. (This takes place in the village of Darewood Cross in the course of a fight between Rose & Arabella and Mary-Francis and Cicely which ends up with the Starnworths falling into a mud pig  sty).

Sure enough, Rose catches Mary-Francis trying to break into the castle records room, but she hadn't reckoned on Jane coming with her. The Youngest Starnworth knocks Rose down, but Arabella appears to even the odds, Jane is captured but Mary-Francis gets to the moat wqhere she and Rose fight underwater and on the edge of the moat. Margaret and Cicely show up to drag a dazed Mary-Francis away, but Jane remains a Darewood prisoner.

Rose naturally offers to return Jane in return fro the Starnworths leaving the area. While meeting with Lady Isabelle, the hot-tempered Margaret and Cicely impulsively attack Rose with swords. In defending herself, Rose wounds Margaret, but then Cicely tries to pull a hidden dagger and in the struggle falls on it herself, causing a fatal wound.

Rose is stricken at this, but argues logically she didn;t start the fight and Cicely tripped and fell of her own folly.

However, it is decided to release Jane, but the girl doesn;t wait. Hearing of her sister's demise, she tries to climb out a high window using a bedsheet rope, but the makeshift rope snaps and she falls into a courtyard seriously injuring herself.

Lady Isabelle then plays a treacherous game. She pretends to accept Rose's apologies and says she will drop the lawsuit. In fact, she has obtained several barrels of gunpowder which she, Mary Francis and Margaret bring in, concealed in their coach. While Lady Isabelle signs papers supposed ending the feud, Mary-Francis and Margaret are rolling the barrels into the castle to blow it up. They are discovered by Rose and Arabella and a really desperate sword fight breaks out, Mary-Francis falls wounded in the leg by Rose, who saves Arabella from Margaret's seord by toppling a bookcase onto her.

The Starnworths are obliged to take their wounded and flee the area ahead of the belated arrival of the authorites. Penelope gives birth to a baby girlk she named Rose Arabella and our story ends happily. (However as any Rose Darewood fan knows, she had not seen the last of the vengeance seeking Starnworths).

CAST:

Rose Darewood: Emma Watsford (Emma Watson)

Penelope Darewood-Hawksworth: :Leah Masters (Leighton Meester)

Lady Isabelle Starnworth: Catherine Dell (Catherine Bell)

Mary-Francis Starnworth: Mary Elizabeth Winthrop (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)

Cicely Starnworth: Brooke Neville (Brooke Nevin)

Margaret Starnworth: Monica Keene (Monica Keena)

Jane Starnworth: Judy Fielder (Jodell Ferland)

AND

Queen Elizabeth Tudor:  Cassie Freeman (Cassidy Freeman)