Patrons beginning to collect stories about preservation body (7)

I believe the answer is:

clients

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'patrons' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'beginning to collect stories about preservation body' is the wordplay.
'beginning to' says to take the initial letters.
'stories' becomes 'lies' (to tell stories can mean to lie).
'about' indicates putting letters inside.
'preservation body' becomes 'nt' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
The first letter of 'collect' is 'c'.
'lies' enclosing 'nt' is 'lients'.
'c'+'lients'='CLIENTS'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for clients that I've seen before include "Consumers" , "Stencil (anag)" , "Customers of the professions" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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